Annie, Unabridged: Homeschool Perks

Seventeen years ago, when we began to homeschool, I saw it as a day job. And while it is a lot of work, I have watched our kids experience what, when growing up in my family, we'd call "The Life of Reilly." Who Reilly is or was I never did find out. But he or she had a wonderful life, I inferred, due to the times and places my parents exclaimed the phrase.

I loved school as a child. Almost all parts of it. So choosing to homeschool was not to slam the public school system. There are many wonderful teachers devoting their lives to educating America's young people. I know I was blessed to be a part of a good school system for 13 years - no moving around - and my parents were involved somewhat and pretty solid, until the messy divorce, but I digress.

As a homeschool mom being of the 'driver' personality, motivating the masses has not been too difficult. Road blocks are a problem, though, until the 'driver' learns how to drive around them, stop, inspect & take it down, or just call the cops and wait. I prefer to call the cops, because Phil is extra handsome in a uniform. But again, I digress.

Since my kids haven't experienced 'real' school, they don't really appreciate the perks of homeschooling. But you can bet I remind them. Kind of like the Grandpa who trudged through snow 12 feet deep up hill both ways to get to school, my memories of the pitfalls of school can rear up. Especially when I see my daughter curled up in a recliner in front of the pellet stove with a minky soft throw across her legs, a steaming hot chocolate within reach, and a purring kitten on a shoulder while she watches her Geometry lesson explained on her laptop - and this is her 'normal'??! I have to control myself or I'd yell, "Do you even realize how good you've got it???? May I just take 30 minutes of your time and bore you to death with an in depth description of the discomfort of school desks??"

Nope, they don't realize how good they've got it, not fully. But as they've left for college, each of our two daughters has said and written how grateful they are for comfy chairs in our homeschool - oh, yeah, and they were grateful for other things, too, which makes it all worth while.