What do you do all day??

What do you do all day???  it is a question I am asked all to often.
With the look and sometime follow up questions of:  "do you just sit around and let the kids play and call that school?"
Or WOW you home "school" with a look of disgust/ sympathy.
"how can you stand having them with you ALL the time!!"
" I love having time to do things for me"
"thats an "interesting way of doing things"
"How will they ever make friends"  "
"do you really think they are learning ANYTHING!!"
"How can you give them the life experiences they need"

I find this so amusing yet sad at the same time.  There are times I just want to grab them by the shoulders and yell "REALLY PEOPLE!!! OPEN YOUR MIND"!!! AHHHHHHHH

And other times I am tempted to play with them, like a cat with a mouse:  Oh sigh I dont know I keep them locked up all afternoon, dont let them talk to anyone (because they might brain wash my child).  I think they will learn to socialize when they are adults.  COME ON!!

Or have the sad, frazzled, slighlty manic look:  I am starting to go insane all there is is noise, noise, NOISE!!! Time to my self I cant even go to the bathroom by my self and they are all over the age of......7.  BAHAHAHAHA.

What do I do??? You ask?? Well I'll be honest sometimes.......wait for it........i'll tell you my bad bad secret.........some days I do absolutely..........NOTHING!!  And I love it, my kids love it they have a free day.  Sometimes I will have them play math, spelling or some other computer game and call it school.  GASP!!!! Call the homeschooling police!

How are my kids socialized??  Through  field trips, Friends ( gasp yes they have friends!! No not imaginary ones but real life warm blooded FRIENDS!!)

Do I miss having time to do anything and everything I wanted?? Sure but it is a choice and yes a personal sacrifice I have chosen to make for my family.

Are they happy?? YES
Well rounded, good kids?  YES dang it they are!!
Life experiences?? Well lets see, I think at times more, they are out in the community with all age groups, they are learning to do hands on things, that some may not get the chance too.
Do they do "school"?? By school do you mean learning math, socials, science, art, Language arts??  Why yes yes they are and my kids are following the same curriculum as yours GASP!


What do I struggle with?? Well I struggle with the fact that some people's oppinion of me changes when they find out I homeschool, that they think I am "weird", ruining my kids, turning them into social misfits.   how do you know?? Have you taken the time to look past societies ideal of what schooling should be??  Do you know my kids?  Were you watching when my 7 year old stood there and held open the door to the library for a bunch of seniors?  Were you there when my 12 year old Son stopped to help some one who needed it?  Where you there when my 9 year old played so well with a toddler when he tried to join in their game?

No then stop and think before you label and judge some one.

Sure it may not be for everyone,  and hey thats ok!!  Every family is different and thats what makes the world go around!!

Do I love it every minute of every day?? HECK NO!!!!  There are days I just want to pull out my hair, scream yell, stomp my feet and have a down right hissy fit!!

But the positive out weighs the negative in my house.  I love that my son who HATED to read find a love of books!  I love that my Daughter is gaining the confidence in herself, that her passion for reading is growing.  I love that my other Daughter's personality, her love for everything is still there and not stifled.

So no my days are not all sunshine, roses and dancing in fields of clover, nor are they perfect domestic peace where the house is spotless, everyone playing nicely at all times.  But it is wonderful and it is my life!!

So my question is...........What do YOU do all day?