We are running a full curriculum even with Distraction-Daddy lounging on the couch, interjecting peanut gallery-esqe commentary, flying paper airplanes, and generally making a nuisance of himself to get attention.
Or, okay, I guess I should say we are trying to.
Ssgt eccentric, the airborne ranger /formerUS Marine is used to commandeering the attention of all and sundry when he comes to town, which all too seldom these last few years, thanks to Dubya. So he has had to make an adjustment now that the kids are busy at least until lunch. They're not babies anymore. Even if we weren't homeschooling they'd be off all day somewhere, not paying court to him. It's hard for me sometimes to acknowledge how much they've grown and I see them every day. He's been averaging a few times a year.
No, we are not divorced.
Yes, it is very, very hard.
The last few times he was home on leave we stopped lessons completely, we were already far ahead and the kids were so young still I didn't stress, but since he is home for almost a month this time I made the executive decision that we could not afford to miss a month of time.
We are planning a bunch of field trips for this month, science museum, Cattle ranch that has a petting zoo with a buffalo & a fancy restaurant, Duck races...These sorts of things are much better when Dad is around to help with logistics, but otherwise we will continue as if he isn't there, or try to at least.
It has been beyond bizarre to teach with someone watching.
I imagine this must be how the PS teachers feel when the principal comes in to "observe". It becomes even more difficult since my husband was not too keen on the homeschooling thing to begin with, even less keen on the amounts of money I spend (and always have since they were babies) on learning stuff, so I was very nervous he would he harsh or critical or even nag me to send them back to school.
He isn't an education-savvy guy either, more Homer Simpson than Homer if you get my drift, even though he is a very intelligent man (I suspect public school dumbed him down quite a bit) and I wasn't sure how he would react to our kids following such a rigorous and, well, somewhat classical curriculum.
I was afraid he's think that memorizing poetry, diagramming sentences, or learning Latin was a waste of time.
I was afraid he would be upset at how much money I have put into our supplies, our curriculum.
I thought he might try to put me on a tighter budget and I had armored myself to argue, to plea, to persuade.
All for nothing.
After watching us quietly for three days he said, "When you first told me you were going to homeschool I didn't like it. I thought it was weird, that the kids would end up...I don't know, weird, I guess. But now that I have watched you do it, and I can actually SEE what the kids can do...well, they are already weird, and you're weird, so they would end up weird in any case. And the stuff you teach them, it's amazing and they really enjoy it! Well, I am damn impressed, you are doing a hell of a job. They sure as hell wouldn't be learning that in public school, and even if they were I know for a fact they wouldn't like it."
So instead of the principal trying to fire me or cut my payroll, he surprised me with a beautiful, brand new, shiny black Chrysler Town and Country minivan with a DVD player!
I had told myself that it didn't matter what he thought, that I knew I was doing the right thing, but it was so nice to have validation (oh yeah, and a new car) from him.
Hurray, I get to keep my job. Now if only I could get that sexy principal to harrass me.
-EH
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