Do you see the inverted question mark on Kenny’s forehead? I could say it is because he was leading his friends in a Spanish lesson on the fine art of punctuation using the tools at his disposal–namely, mud, but that would be a lie, and while I may be “given to hyperbole” on occasion, a liar I am not.
In all truth, it appears to be a question mark, but its just the way the mud stuck to him during the boys’ mud wars at the lake last week.
Ahhhh…mud wars at the lake.
For all the mud that came home in his hair, more must have been tucked away in his bathing suit because it quickly turned to sand and clogged up the dryer’s lint trap. I can honestly say last week was the first time I’ve vacuumed a lint trap.
I love this photo. I plan to save it as fodder for the boys’ senior slide show. These four punks are having the time of their life, dirt-dirty as can be while simultaneously lying at the water’s edge. How is that even possible?
And all the mothers said, “Because they are BOYS!”
Amen.
What you cannot see in this photo are my two friends, Cindy and Shannon. The women who volunteered to pick up my son and take him to the state park with them so he could have fun with his friends while I worked. The same women who sent me photos and videos of their good time, knowing I’d want to stop for a second to snicker at four boys wallowing in the mud.
In my last post I asked, “Beyond your actual curriculum and textbooks, what are the TOP TEN THINGS you could not homeschool without?” Laura in Montana commented with five things, one of which was “Friends who homeschool, too!”
So, so true.
I would not want to try to get by without my fellow homeschooling mommas. Who else would think it perfectly normal when I messaged to say I’m thinking about switching our curriculum for next year–even now, as I have it all planned and ready to go. Who else would listen to me talk about year-round homeschooling for six months and then not judge me when my plans fell through? Who else would not point out that I’ve worn the same shirt three days in a row or balk when I say we’re moving into a teensy-weensy home with no rooms? Who else would support me through a Whole30, but smile knowingly when I ask them to bring me a Sonic Cherry Coke (no, not diet) 4 weeks later?
Friends.
All mommas need a support system. It doesn’t matter if one specifically homeschools or not; I realize this, of course. Personally, I could NOT homeschool without my husband’s support, but homeschooling without my friends who also homeschool would be a challenge. I don’t have a lot of them because it requires extra time and energy to maintain friendships, but they are worth every effort.
I love them.
What about you? Are you blessed by the friendships of fellow homeschooling friends? Tell us why and what they mean to you.
Heather Sanders is a leading homeschooling journalist who inspires homeschooling families to live, love and learn. Married to Jeff, Heather lives in the East Texas Piney Woods where she currently home schools two of her three kids.