The Day Pizza Rolls Saved My Life

Really this blog could be titled: "The Day(S) Pizza Rolls Saved My  Life"

I believe in balance. I want to do right by my family. But NOT at the expense of my sanity or the peace of my home. The ONLY thing I am an extremist about is NOT being an extremist...

You know those days...you know. Like you sat in a doctor's appointment for your littlest monkey and had to take the other two monkeys with you. 15 snacks, a couple of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episodes on your phone and 2 toys thrown aside and you are about to lose your mind.  You even resorted to singing and dancing, despite your current attitude. That happened to be when the doctor walked in. Awesome.
Pizza Rolls  for dinner.

OR the day you feel like you are oozing organic-ness through your pores as you excitedly drive out to see your "cow share" cow. You didn't quite realize how far it was. You didn't bring enough snacks. So, on the way home, you go through the Wendy's drive-through with your cooler full of raw milk mocking you from the back seat. 

Maybe you look out the window at your lovely, overgrown, organic garden. You should look at it and smile. Instead you look at it and see more work to do. Is that MORE green beans?! I should be happy about this, right? But all I want to do right now is watch this re-run of Gilmore Girls. 
Pizza Rolls for dinner.

Perhaps, as you are trying to write a blog, your 2nd monkey comes down stairs completely naked, with the exception of the blue Wii remote around his wrist.  If The Professor wasn't making dinner tonight...guess what we would be having?!

I am ALL FOR taking good care of your family. And proper nutrition is important. But sometimes girl, you gotta just pop in some Pizza Rolls and live to fight another day.

Rebel with a Cause

Often when we hear the word "Rebel" or "Rebellious" our thoughts go to a negative place. We think of children exhibiting wild behavior, wearing all black or refusing to get a good, steady job. Depending on your age, when you see the title of this blog, you might think of James Dean in Rebel withOUT a Cause. Great movie. If you've never seen it, you should. I think it's possible he invented being cool.

Well, let's define 'rebel' based on the dictionary:

adjective

1. showing a desire to resist authority, control, or convention.

Hmmm...still think it's a bad thing? I think it sounds amazing. But remember, I have issues. Or perhaps my "issues" aren't "issues" at all. Maybe there is a reason it resides so deep in my heart. 

I've been rebellious as long as I remember. If everyone was doing it, I wanted to do the opposite. If I was "supposed" to do something, it made me REALLY not want to do it. Or if it was something I wasn't supposed to to...well, I might just have to do it cause you told me not to.

In my younger days this caused me to do some really stupid things. Which I will not go into now.  But then I got to thinking why I am this way? Still? I'm an adult. No parental control left over me. So, why is it such a part of who I am? 

There might be a profound purpose other than just to buck the system.

I heard about an interview Roger Hammerstein did about the musical South Pacific. I remember watching South Pacific when I was a kid. Several times. I thought it was great and I loved the music. It was okay-ed by my parents and other adults as good, wholesome family entertainment. Although back then I didn't pick up on the messages in the story. It is largely about racism/ inter-racial marriage and the hardships and life choices made by soldiers oversees during WWII. Because of many of these messages, around the time it was released certain states refused to support it due to it's "liberal message".
Hammerstein was a rebel.

You know what I like? The right to vote. I also like the ability to own land and property.
Think about the women (and men) that spoke out against what was "normal" and ahem..."resisted authority" in the Women's Suffrage movement.
Susan B.Anthony, Elizabeth Stanton and Amelia Bloomer were rebels.

Some of the same rebels from the Women's movement went another step further in breaking away from "convention" and believed people should not be treated differently due to the color of their skin in the Civil Rights movement. 
Martin Luther King Jr. was a rebel.

I know in this day and time these concepts seem so obvious. So normal. But think back to what they had to overcome. Their families, their upbringing. What they had been told their whole lives was right and wrong.

I wonder if I would have had the strength, foresight, and bravery to be a rebel then...

So, to all you fellow rebels out there...let's find our cause. There is a reason it's in you. It is probably an incredible reason. So, let's stop running from it, trying to pretend it isn't there. Let's embrace it and see what happens!

TO Homeschool or NOT to Homeschool...is that really the question?

I understand this is a hot topic button. And there are many emotions that run deep.  But let's take a step back and look at the root of the conflict.  Insecurity.
C'mon, we all have them. I have them. Many. And I know that we all compare ourselves, sometimes subconsciously. 

My inner dialog goes something like this: 
"See, she is a mom but she still has time to paint her nails. You don't paint your nails. What is wrong with you? Sure, yea...whatever...you do lots of other things...but who cares if your nails aren't painted?!  Why is her house so clean? Your house is NEVER this clean. Wait, she homeschools? Un.believable. You should never have become a parent. In fact, they should make you take a test before you have children to make sure you know what you are doing. Well, it's a good thing they don't have a test... Because you would fail it."

Sound ridiculous? Oh, it is!  I've thought these and many similar things often.  

I have learned and empathized with the fact that we all have them. And give others the benefit of the doubt. I think what upsets and saddens me the most is that grown adults treat each other so savagely, but usually with an air of passive aggressiveness. Trying to sneak in verbal (or non-verbal) "jabs" to make someone else feel bad about their life or decisions. Why does this happen? Insecurity.

Let me say I have never homeschooled a day in my life. But I am a homeschool mom. I read somewhere that you have to call yourself something before anyone else will. After a very stubborn, prayerful, antacid-filled process (3 years to be exact) I have come to a place that I have peace about doing it.  But for the 4 years prior, was peace-filled about public school. 

Peace. It's a beautiful thing. If you can live your life following what gives you peace. I don't believe you can go wrong. 

So what am I saying...Homeschooling is perfect. Um...no. I'm saying, do what you have peace to do. Do what is right for your family. Private school. Public school. Homeschool. There is no right or wrong. So let's stop treating each other like there is.

Maybe you have a friend that has a newborn baby and decides homeschooling is best for them. Great. Perhaps a stay-at-home mom has to go back to work full time to provide for her family and her kids need to go to public school. Wonderful. Your in-laws tell you they would love to fund your child's private school education. Fantastic. 

Let's err on the side of love. No judgement. No comparisons. Just a bunch of imperfect people following peace.