I'm still here!

The funny thing about suddenly deciding to start homeschooling your child is that all of the other plans you had for the week are suddenly changed. In my case this meant that I started homeschooling on a day when I should have been doing laundry and cleaning my house. And then the next day I took Rebecca to a homeschooling get-together and the laundry continued to pile and the house squalor grew. Yesterday involved a trip to the Museum of Science to learn about Antarctica, then we went shopping at Target and Costco, picked Lily up from a playdate and dropped Rebecca off at dance class. Then last night I went out.

Yes, you read that correctly. I went out at night time. It was very dark.

I went to a friends house for a mommy get-together and it was very very lovely. However I have very serious limits to how much I can enjoy being outside of my home, particularly a home in need of some serious attention and by 10pm last night I had had enough fun.

This morning came far too early, but arrived with the soothing balm of dropping Rebecca off for gym class at her former school, and then taking a short trip to the junk store.

You didn't think that I'd stop junking just because I am homeschooling did you?

There are some things I simply cannot resist.



Vintage fans. I almost never find them for cheap. This one was 7.99.



Baby scales.



I find the little teddy bear and elephant so sweet.

The real find was this chippy table which is exactly what I have been looking for to put in Rebecca's room.





Those are real chips people.

When I got home from junking I ate about eight chocolate hazelnut yum-yums to fuel myself in order to dig myself out of the rat hole our house had become.

First I organized Lily's room and vacuumed. It's all about the vacuuming.

Then I rearranged Rebecca's desk a bit to make it more homeschooling friendly.

Then my room, the laundry, the kitchen, the porch, the bathrooms.

Right this second, this very moment my house is clean.

The laundry is done.

The dogs are settled and the children are asleep.

A clean quiet house is the sweetest serenity to me.

Speaking of serenity guess who is happy, seriously happy?

Rebecca. That child is just so happy homeschooling. She is able to go back to school for gym, art and library which she loves. In the meantime she's been reading and writing like crazy. She did some workbook work today as well. I don't know why I waited so long. It's heaven.

This week I hope to get our routine established and to get back to daily blogging. I hate to miss a day. I'm lucky to have such great readers. When I first started blogging I swore that I would respond to every comment anyone left me and for a while I did. But then I missed a day and then another and the comments keep coming and I haven't emailed back. I love your comments. They are so often some of the best parts of my day. They warm my heart and make me laugh. If you've left comments recently and I haven't emailed you please accept my apology and know that if it weren't for you guys reading, I wouldn't be writing. Sleep sweet folks!

I leave the house.

Many of you know that I am a homebody. Some might even call me a recluse. I wouldn't object. I love being home.

Sometimes, however, I find myself being persuaded to leave my hobbit hole and venture out into the world. Last night was that night.

Last night a sitter was hired, a strapless push-up bra was put on and David and I went out to see the Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra. They are an 18 piece rock and roll extravaganza. They play great songs from The Who, The Beatles, Queen, Led Zeppelin, and Fleetwood Mac.



I wish that they played Pink Floyd because I am still not over Pink Floyd. Michael Patterson got me hooked when I was 14, but that is another story.

The point of this story is that these guys brought down the house. They performed at the Stuart Street Playhouse which has been transformed, creating a mini-stadium feel. These guys are hardcore performers and their passion extends into every aspect of the show. The lights and fog create a rock and roll atmosphere, but it's the amount of talent on the stage that just had my jaw on the floor. There were at least eight different singers, each having their own musical specialty. Their version of Major Tom conveyed a sadness that I had never really grasped before and their version of Zeppelin's Black Dog had me rockin' out in the aisle.

I loved it, but David lost his mind. That man loves to dance, and readers, he danced like a wild man last night. By the time we left he was a sweating limping mess. Here he is before he got sweaty. So yummy.


After the show we hung out with this man.

His name is Alan Ware. He's the drummer and co-producer of the show. He's English and has one of those English accents that you just want to run away with. He's a bit of a rapscallion. He has a beautiful wife and three gorgeous boys who stayed up to watch. I bet those boys were cranky today. They were probably cranky until they heard Alan's accent and were calmed by its rascally sweetness.

There are only two more shows in Boston, June 20th and 27th. I liked that it started at 8pm and wrapped at 10:30. I'm too old to go see shows that don't start until 11pm. You should go see it- would make a great Father's Day gift for any classic rock loving dads out there. The quality will astound you and possibly make your ears ring if like me you decide that you are too cool for ear plugs. But that too, is another story.