“You have your ubulus muscle… that connects to the upper dorsinus.”

So anyway today I got some real giggles. I was cited and quoted, briefly, in an article on Salon (“Home-schooled and illiterate”, by Kristin Rawls). And in the article I look like a real dick. Like picture me in a Camaro racing down the highway and airily tossing plastic litter out the window directly into a woodland creature’s eye. So anyhoo, this afternoon – for clarity especially as any home-ed’ers might want to know more about my involvement with this article – I posted the entirety of my exchange with the author on Underbellie.

It was kinda weird because only an hour before I was alerted to this piece, I was sitting on the bleachers at the Y and knitting while listening to kids play and parents talk. Today the kids and I began revisiting Homeschool Sports which we hadn’t been a part of for almost two years (OK, this is my funniest post about our previous tenure). And I was instantly re-reminded of how curriculum-oriented religious home educators are. No, I wasn’t annoyed, or judging – just noticing. And of course I was noticing how wonderfully and exuberantly these homeschooled children play together (none of my readers will be surprised Phoenix was instantly the leader of the gang, and on her first day!). It was really odd to come home and find myself implicated in this sorta sinister plot of religious home educators doing things that, well, were the exact opposite things of what I see religious home educators doing. P.S. I was also giggling to myself because there was this really cute be-flannel’d hipster-looking dad (looking a lot younger than I, sad times, I’m getting to be an olde harpy) and I was all ready to sidle up just for idle chat with him but he got talking about a Bible class in this way I remember from my old church days and I thought I’d give it a miss.

I’m not going to comment further on the Salon article at this time and in this space, although of course I have a handful of opinions. “lt’s boring, but it’s part of my life.” My opinions.

***

Last night I went to bed with a headache and this morning I woke with that sort of spiky ear-to-throat feeling on the left side. Today I opted to sleep in a bit while an electrician banged around in my upstairs. Uh, that’s not a euphemism. Anyway my children took care of me for a couple hours and they handled the electrician business as well; during my attempts to rest my mother had the kids over to her place and fed them steak and yogurt smoothie for breakfast (yeah – I know!). After I rose I cleaned up, then spent the rest of the day consuming tea and spicy food, running a few errands, playing with the children, and buying up some t-shirts to cut into great kiddo-wear.

Speaking of: tomorrow Gray’s General Store opens only three blocks from my locale. Um, people, we are talking about a place with fabric and zippers and heavy-duty thread and old sewing machines! Those of you who know me and my little wee town know I am peeing-my-pants-levels-excited. This store and I are gonna be like PEAS AND CARROTS, do you even know how long I’ve waited for some crafty goodness such as this? * dances a wee jig *

And, I’ve been asked to teach there. I am pondering what to teach. No tote bags, pillow cases. Nuh-uh. Will have to keep thinking about it.

Tomorrow: homeschool skate. Last time I went I think I still had my green hair. I’m going to get up on some wheels too. And a big giant-ass coat because that skating rink is like a meat locker.

#HQX

What we do: walking. In Hoquiam.

I am not going to lie, I’m disappointed that in the brief bit you hear me (“K Street, Ralph”) I am speaking in a perfectly pleasant tone. It’s not at all how I imagine I typically speak.

Then – Jasmine & Nels, at Hoquiam’s Tully’s (of course):

Nels & Jasmine

We have been so fortunate to have lovely and clement weather. It makes all sorts of things possible for us that we otherwise cannot do; grocery shopping and biking on errands (without all of us wet, cold, and miserable). Around here most middle-class-and-up grownups, if they’re outside, are mowing lawns or tidying up their outdoor facade or going for runs. We walk and get groceries and sometimes I think, honestly, people gawk at me like I’m a loser (no seriously, Grays Harbor Gawking is a pasttime here). The main thoroughfare in town is also a highway and it can be unpleasant.

That said, I love my west side Hoquiam with all the fierceness of my little black heart.