You know you're homeschooled if....

Most of you know that we homeschool and have since our oldest daughter (now 21) was in fourth grade. We started when we moved to Georgia and our two younger children have never known anything but homeschooling. This is our 12th year of homeschooling.

Anyway, homeschooling is a culture within itself and has it's own language and with that we get lots of questions; not as much anymore, now that our kids are growing up. But, with that in mind, here is a list of the more familiar and humorous questions and comments we've experienced.

You know you're homeschooled if:

1. the children have been asked why they don't go to a "real" school. (no, our school is not real - it's make believe.)
2. You can go to school in your pajamas, also teacher can show up in her P.J.'s (yeah!!)
3. People ask how do you "socialize", do you have friends, do you know other people? (no, we're actually trying to raise a bunch of deranged sociopaths to send out into the world.)
4. People ask what time we get up in the morning (well, we get up around noon, eat and then go back to bed and sleep the rest of the day.)
5. People ask why you're not in school, especially if the children happen to be grocery shopping with mom during "normal school hours". (well, isn't going to the grocery store a great place to learn math skills?)
6. People assume that the children get all "A's" because the parents are so lenient (yeah, right!!)
7. Mom gets asked frequently if she is "educated" enough to teach her children at home. (no, I'm really a kindergarten drop-out - but don't tell anyone, I might get reported to the uh... who?)
8. Is homeschooling legal? (no, we're doing it all incognito, don't follow any rules and live out in the country so no one can find us.)

Benefits of homeschooling from Mom's perspective:

1. The teacher gets to kiss the principal in the faculty lounge and no one gossips.
2. You take off for a teacher in-service day because the principal needs clean underwear.
3. If you get caught talking to yourself, you can claim you're having a PTA meeting.
4. If your child gets drugs at school, it's probably Tylenol.
5. We can take vacations when everyone else is in school.
6. All humor aside, I absolutely love my children and love having them around!!

Happy Monday

Good morning and good Monday to everyone. I cannot believe it is nearly Christmas and I have not finished shopping yet!! We have been doing alot of "partying" lately, (the good kind - hee). Saturday had a dress rehearsal for the drama/choir presentation at church. Saturday evening a Care Ministry party at church. Sunday the production and Sunday afternoon went to the Athens Symphony Christmas production at the Classic Center. It was fabulous, as usual, and really puts you in the Christmas spirit. They did two selections from Handel's Messiah, my favorite being the "Hallelujah Chorus". Wow, what music!! and with a 102 voice choir, all I can say is I had goosebumps. Then after that went to some friends for ice cream and coffee. Tonight my daughters and I are hosting our fourth (or is it fifth?) annual ornament exchange here at our house. We have friends over, (it started out with mothers and daughters and has evolved into a bit more than that) and snack (wassail , again - unspiked), fellowship and then do the exchange. The exchange itself, is like a White Elephant exchange, where you unwrap your gift and then the next person can take yours or get another. It ends up being alot of fun. Of course, the last person is in the best position, because they get to pick from everything. Lots to do today to prepare, lots of baking, but we love this particular event. Have a wonderful beginning to your week -

Friday Fact - Christmas Wassail

Did you know that the word "Wassail" comes from the Old Norse "vas heill" - to be of good health? This later evolved into the tradition of visiting neighbors on Christmas Eve and drinking to their health.

Speaking of Wassail, I had a couple of good friends over for lunch today. We have been friends for a long time and always get together for birthdays, etc... We just recently started getting together for Christmas. We had wassail, of course, one of my favorite Christmas beverages. (I also love Egg Nog). Anyway, I am posting a picture of us in front of our Christmas Tree. Left to right - me, Sheri and Kathy. I thank the Lord for good friendships!!

Painting Lessons

If you know me at all, you know that I am very frugal with money. Some might term it "tight". But I don't mind. I do enjoy coupons and saving a buck or two when I can. So, when it came to finishing our bonus room, I told my husband we could save some money by us painting it ourselves. HA!! What a joke!!

Today is the second day of "priming" the sheet rock. Why do they call it "primer" anyway? Prime means "elite, heyday, perfection, all things lovely". Well, applying the primer was anything but those things. Yesterday, the smell in our house was so bad that I thought I was going to get sick. And while we were actually up there (room's on the second floor) my daughter and I felt as if we were becoming a bit "wacky" from inhaling the fumes. As someone said last night at church, we probably killed some brain cells yesterday, for which I am worried - I don't have that many to lose!! Anyway, today, we had to finish the "priming" because we were so sick of the smell yesterday, we up and left it. So had to return to the scene and complete the job. Now my hands look like a nail job gone bad and I have the familiar little white "freckles" all over my skin again. Tomorrow, I guess we'll start the actual painting. Hopefully, it is water based and will wash off easily, the primer was not. Alas, the money I spent in paintbrushes, that would not wash out, was probably enough to pay a painter. Anyway, I am hoping and praying the painting won't be as difficult.

All in all, I must say I do have a new found respect for painters.

Wordless Wednesday

TOO CUTE

Borrowed this from another blog, couldn't resist sharing. Enjoy ~~

Friday Fact ~ Merry X-MAS

First, let's talk about the word 'X-mas.' I have to admit that in the past I just didn't like the saying "Merry X-mas" because I thought people were trying to avoid saying Christmas, and thus avoid the connection that Christ has to Christmas. Well, I was mistaken and have learned what the significance of the "X" is in "X-mas".

We have a Christmas tree in the back of our sanctuary at church that is full of Chrismons. The word "Chrismon" is a derivative of two words (ChHRISt+MONOgram). By the way, the Chrismons at our church, like many others, are handmade because according to all I've read, they cannot be made for profit, hence you won't find them in your neighborhood store that sells Christmas decorations.

Technically, if the ornaments on a Christmas tree are comprised mostly of Christian symbols, the tree is known as a "Chrismon Tree." Most Chrismons are white with gold decorations of beads, ribbon, glitter, etc.

Chrismons are symbols that stand for Christ. The symbol reminds us of some aspect of Christ's life. The symbol points us, our minds toward Christ. There are many,many Chrismons and I have posted one here for you that is explained. But you can do some research on your own and find all the different symbols. It is very fascinating.

If you look carefully on the tree you will see some Chrismons that are "X's" or a combination of an "X" and what looks like a "p." Those are not English letters, but Greek letters. The letter that looks like the letter "p" in our alphabet is really the Greek letter "Rho" which is equal to our letter "R." The "X" is the Greek letter "Chi" and is equal to a "CH" in English letters. The "Chi," the Greek letter that looks like our "X" is a symbol of Christ. It is the first two letters of the word "Christ." When combined with the "Rho," the Greek letter that looks like our letter "p," the symbol then stands for the first THREE letters, "Chr" of the word Christ.

So, when people, like me, go on and on about 'X-mas' leaving out Christ, they don't know what they're talking about. So, now that YOU know, you can enlighten them.