GRRRrrrr. Frustrating.

Getting my kids to do their schoolwork is like herding a brood of chickens. The minute I lose my focus they're UP and GONE. Why does this happen? It's painful when you realize that they are not as motivated to learn as I am to teach them. Sometimes it's hard to be determined to keep going. We tried lightening things up this morning by playing dominoes, practicing multiplication by stating the product of the two numbers on the tiles as we were playing them. It disintegrated into bickering. (sigh) I wish they'd get along better. Sometimes we can't even play games without someone picking a fight, and the other jumping in, defensively. Sheesh.

LUNCH
Well, in the meantime, we had lunch. Bean burritos. Mixed 3 cans of pinto beans with onion, garlic chili and cumin powder, a bunch of salt, and blended them into oblivion. Then we heated them up in the fry pan, and glopped them onto fat free flour tortillas lined with cheese. drizzled a little enchilada sauce, and faster than you can say Mexican hat dance, we had Taco Bell style bean burritos on our plates. They were actually pretty good. I guess the stuffed peppers have to wait until tomorrow.

So what's for dinner, mom?

I have to blog our current dietary struggle. Try to picture my older son, picky eater#1, coming to grips with vegetarianism when he would rather have chicken wings. To break them into it, I do try to have a baked or broiled meat along with whatever else we're eating. I feel like a short order cook at the Waffle House. "hold the oil, here!" "No onions there" Then I try to feed my youngest son, 2 1/2 years old, but he won't eat ANYTHING that we have sometimes. Mostly rice, fruit, cereal, peanut butter and jelly, and the rare veggie for him. He's very difficult. I suppose that hunger would take over and he'd start to eat what we do, but he's always been small and just getting him to eat has been a struggle. He's 28 lbs now, and short. He looks well-rounded and is rarely sick, so I guess we're doing ok.

Maybe we can get back onto the schoolwork, but I think I've lost them. Somebody's outside in the glorious weather squirting a hose at the window. Maybe we need a nature walk.

Today was the day!

I've been thinking and musing and wondering and plotting, but today was the day. Which day? The day I started my first blog, of course! So, now that I have it, what should I write about?

I have writer's block.

No, not really. I can't wait to get started. My friends and family would tell you that I'm fairly opinionated about many things, and others would just roll their eyes and groan. They know I can't resist opining on just about everything that crosses my path. Oh, well. Nobody's perfect.

I hope you'll join me on the trip of my lifetime -- through the joys and pains of homeschooling, raising kids, seeking balance in the roles of wife, mother, stepmom, businessmom (or mompreneur), and all of the craziness in between. Alternatively witty, corny, rant-y, whiney, I'll try to the best of my ability entertain and inform while changing diapers, teaching fractions, running my house, and seeking better relationships with others, and with God. It sounds like a dartboard of a target, but that's how I roll. So, fasten your seatbelts, we're off to explore the rigors of being a wife and mom in the 21st century.

I'm in awe-inspiring company. The blogs I've read by families who are so accomplished and inspiring will always be around me, and I'm but a little spark of a candle when it somes to their shining beacons. I hope that I'll make friends along the way, and we'll share a virtual cup of coffee from time to time.