Do you have days where you are just finding yourself going to your room and crying?  I'm coming to an end of my 8'th year of homeschooling and still find myself doing that a few times a year.  :)  Life throws us curve balls and it doesn't care that we have English to finish or 5 more multiplication problems left.  We have to cut off the distractions and give our children (students) our 100% attention.  I find myself relaxing this time of year with allowing the distractions, but I have a new perspective on this coming school year!  I will go back to my old ways.....turning on the answering machine that plays my recorded message..."We are homeschooling at this moment so if you'd leave your name and number we'll get back with you after 2:00pm.  Thanks for understanding."  But it doesn't do any good if you leave the ringer on and check the caller ID.  It sounds easy, but it is harder than you realize to shut out the outside world for even hours!  

   Where did all this come from  you ask?  Well, I've leaned a great parental lesson this week!   I was checking my facebook page and my sons asked if they could get out the spray on tattoo kit.  I gave my permission.  Then they asked if they could have the skull and crossbones tattoo.   "Sure, no problem" I replied.  Before I knew it my 9 year old had the skull and crossbones tattoo on his forehead!  My oldest son (who is 13 yrs. old) said, "Mom, I asked you if you were sure if he could tattoo his forehead and you said 'yeah'"!  Really?  

Parental lesson #574 learned.  HAHAHA!