It Happened!

Today, I was getting new tires and the guy doing them said, "My niece wuz homeschooled and I ain't sayin' she ain't got education, but her people-skills is not good."


I just sat there for a moment, first trying to pick out the meaning from his very broken English.  (This was not my beloved Mr. Holmes, btw.)  Then I realized he was saying, "Homeschoolers are unsocialized" and "I base this wholly on my observations of one family member, yet it surely fits anyone else who is homeschooled."


I ran through the stock answers, the replies from kind to scathing.  But he was not sharing in a back-and-forth, he was commenting and moving on.  He did not CARE that it was offensive or even hostile, I don't think it occurred to him at all. So, what to do?  Mutter to myself about it?  Lead the conversation back around to it?  Mail him some hand-outs?  Slash his tires?  


I went on the defensive end of things, wanting to line out every interaction we have, naming friends and accomplishments and references, as if I were going on trial.  That's no good, and in the end would have accomplished nothing.  I just...I did not think it would happen to me!  hahaha!  These are the narrow-minded insights heaped on OTHER homeschoolers, I have had amazingly positive (outside my own family that is) feedback and encouragement when homeschooling even comes up.


I ended up pointing out that everyone has varying degrees of social skills, no matter how they were brought up.  I said that after the isolation of school at no other time are we put with only people our very own age because it's assumed we have the very same abilities.  That learning to get along with any age older or younger was a vital life skill, but some people are very shy or naturally withdrawn.


I think I used too many words.  I should have said, "You are an idiot" and been done.  

Play is the thing

Or, was it THE play's the thing?  Either way, play is involved!

We had a great Friday with friends, I am so happy with the warmer weather.

Thursday night, I went to rehearsal for Act One in order to rescue the kids before they had to sit through Act Two...

Chandler is the tree in that back corner, the blurs are people running around, one is supposed to be there, the other is not...

Friday morning, we went to see Keilee in Alice in Wonderland at the Princess in Decatur.  It was a musical.  

Which explains why Keilee is dressed in a wig being a Dixie Chicken in one scene!

And, back to being a singing red pawn in another!

I could not get the whole cast, but this is most of them, it was a big show!

Our crew out in front!

We went to the Old State Bank, where it was too bright for pictures and all the Jessamine had died, so, we decided to go eat.

after lunch, we met up (I had an errand) at Delano and played for an hour or so.

Among all the new playscapes, we caught a quick glimpse of this monkey!
I was very lucky to get the shot, as it ran away screeching and hooting just seconds after being spotted.

Later, I saw it peeking out from under a bridge.

It seems friendly!

Kaitlin got her braces off!

Ben ran nose-first into a pole and was not thrilled with life for a little while...

I thought he had lost a limb the way he screamed, it was terrifying!
Poor kid, it's 24 hours later and he has some swelling and a little bruising.  : (

Other than the sninkled snoot incident, it was a LOVELY day.  We got groceries, a part for the camper and got home just ahead of Matt.

Fourteen point five

Whee!  The scale is moving down again!

Okay, so in the past week I have walked the pasture with the dogs (.7 mile loop) at least once a day, which counts more as a stroll and not really exercising, but it's fresh air and not sitting on my ass, so I am recording it!

I mowed a total of 4 hours with a push-mower.  That's about 3.5 miles an hour, so 14 miles just in the yard and most of it SHOVING through the weeds.  It's all lovely now, and now-I get to keep it that way or else back to shoving the mower.  Holy moly, that's work.

I did arm weights...well, twice.  LOL  Hey, I am not even close to perfect.  Yoga every couple of days and I have been good with cutting off eating/snacking past 7:30 but I still can't seem to eat before 10 in the morning.

I have not had a single sip of a carbonated drink in a week.  If you think that's not an effort for me, here's a virtual poke in the eye for you.  And a neener neener.  My name is Esther and I am a total soda addict.  I HAVE been slucking down the lemonade with Splenda or Stevia, so I am not 100% water yet.  Give me time.  It's the only way I will drink my liquid quota for the day, I am like a child.  I don't even need it to taste sweet, just have SOME flavor.  I have been drinking some plain water, at least 22 ounces a day.  I have to start somewhere.

The crunches did not happen last week.  I did them today our of pure guilt, which is really the worst reason to do anything.  I will see where that goes, I do want to strengthen my core muscles.  I just...want someone else to do it for me.   hahaha!

Five Feet, One Inch

I played with the macro today.  All of these are from about a 5 foot area, all taken less than an inch away from the flower.

Redbud tree bloom

Four-leaf clover

Ant mandibles

Onion Grass

Pine

Waiting wishes

 Quince

Squareflower

Wild Strawberry

And the house.  : )

Sportsman's Lake Two

Wednesday, we met Suzette and her kids for a quick picnic and walk at Sportsman's Lake Park.

We explored the wildflower trail, then made our way around the lake while catching up.

The kids played a round of putt-putt

Back home, the lilacs have bloomed!

It smells SO good outside.

Seventeen

Between hikes over the weekend and walking during this week, I have walked over 10 miles in the last 7 days, most of that uphill.  


I have not been eating well, not regularly or good-for-me.  Not that I am snarfing  junk, just not really paying attention to meal times or snack consumption.  This next week, my only goal is to walk at least every other day and to eat by 9 a.m. each morning and not eat after 7:30 each night.  And to not eat anything I don't actually like.  As insane as it is, I did that 3 times this past week, I guess out of habit?  One was a moon pie, I HATE those things. Bleh.


I have also started doing crunches again, thank goodness for muscle memory, when I started back in January, I wanted to throw up after 5-6, by the end of February, I could do 15-20 at a time 2-3 times a day.  Then I got a stomach bug and nothing says sadist like crunching with cramps.


Then, I just stopped doing them.  8 weeks of daily effort wiped out in a single week of inactivity!  They did not do anything for my weight levels, but I did feel stronger in my core and I need that back to hike up hills without flagging.  Amazing how those muscles all work together.  I can still do 10 without losing form, I will start there.  : )

CRV: Cherokee Rock Village outside Leesburg

Cherokee Rock Village is always a top 5 trip and this year was no exception!

On the way, we made a quick stop at High Falls Park:

From CRV:

The bigger kids got well ahead of us at CRV and there was some searching followed by some scolding, but all-in-all, a great day to play and climb.

Heather had to leave, so Cathy and I decided to have a little more fun on the way back.  We stopped at Buck's Pocket State Park and played a while, then went to Guntersville State Park and watched the sun set.

We dropped Emily off and got home around 9.

Heather, Griffin and Cathy climb down

The girls pause for a split second!

The kids at the bottom of one of the many crevices

Ben and Carson at the overlook in 2010 and below from 2005

Griffin's first trip to CRV in '05!

From Buck's Pocket:

The girls find a little ledge with some anoles!
Which they of course named and assigned backstories to.

To Xibalba!

From Guntersville: