10 Things Not to Say to a Homeschooling Mom

I've been a homeschooling Mom for about 8 years now and you WOULD NOT BELIEVE the crap I hear from people.  Ok, well....maybe you would.  Below is my own personal list of things you should NEVER say to a homeschooling parent, period.  And yes- they've all been said to me at one time or another.



#1- But what about socialization?  Oh.  My.  Gawd.  I am beyond done with this question, I just can't.  Do your research you ignorant butt and you'll find that homeschooled kids are WAY better socialized than your precious public schoolers.  Yeah, it's true.

#2- They'll never get into college.  News flash!  College is not the be all end all and no one knows this better than a homeschooling Mom.  I want my child to pursue his passions and if he needs college to do that, then you best believe my boy is getting in.  But it is not our educational goal.  And here's a bit of truth for you, colleges are ACTIVELY recruiting homeschoolers.  If it came down to my well rounded homeschooled student and your peg square public schooler, the homeschooled kid will win it every single time.  Every.  Time.

#3- I didn't know you were a certified teacher.  I'm not but thanks for trying to make me feel stupid.  You do NOT need to be a certified teacher to teach a child, you just don't.  Think back to before you shipped your child off to school, did you never teach them a single thing?  Like ever?  However in the world did they learn to eat with a fork or tie their shoes or lip sync to Madonna?  Oh yeah- you taught them because you are more than qualified and so am I.  So suck it.

#4- Wow, I didn't know you were so religious.  Because EVERY SINGLE HOMESCHOOLER must be over the top religious to follow this path, right?  No.  Where once the homeschooling community consisted of a butt ton of religious families, just as with any demographic- we are growing.  Homeschoolers come in all shapes and sizes, from all different worlds with a crazy variety of beliefs.  Would you believe there's even some who DON'T believe in God?  Yeah, it's true.

#5- Don't you get sick of spending all that time with your kid?  Well, yeah- sometimes.  I'm only human of course!  But when it comes down to it, I want to be the one who teaches and guides him, not some stranger hired by a defunct educational system.  And goodness but that's why they invented outside classes, sports, and this little thing called socialization.  Sure we homeschoolers spend WAY more time with our children than most parents and no joke- it can be rough, we wouldn't have it any other way.  

#6- So what do you do all day?  Well gee...what do YOU do all day?  I certainly hope you aren't trying to imply that I'm lazy here mmkay...because the reality is anything but.  If you're doing this right, it is very much like having a FULL TIME JOB in addition to the FULL TIME JOB of being a wife and mother.  And personally, I have 2 part time jobs so let's just say I work the equivalent of 3 FULL TIME JOBS.  How many do you have again?  What is it that you do all day again?  MmmHmm....sorry but you're not gonna win this one.

#7- How come your kid is watching TV, shouldn't they be doing schoolwork right now?  Ah, you gotta love a schoolwork dictator, right?  Homeschooling is a lifestyle and as such it happens ALL THE TIME.  Even TV can be educational.  There are SO many ways and styles in which to homeschool and educate our children and most of them do NOT replicate a traditional public school setting.  So expand your mind a bit to the concept that kids learn all the time in every thing.

#8- Well I didn't realize public school wasn't good enough for your kids, it works just fine for mine.  Sigh....listen....I am truly NOT judging you.  I'm not.  It works for your family and that's great- but it didn't work for mine.  The reasons behind why people choose to homeschool are vast and most times it has nothing to do with you.  So get over yourself already and let's just agree to not judge each other mmkay...

#9- I didn't know you were allowed to homeschool, is it legal?  Wow.  The government mind control is strong in this one mmkay....listen, I do NOT need to ask permission from anyone to do what I feel is right for my child.  I just don't.  But thanks for implying that I would commit a crime in order to educate my kid.  Homeschooling is legal, in all the states.  Some have more regulations and restrictions than others which sucks balls but yes, for now we are still legally allowed to parent and educate how we want.

#10- Shouldn't your kid be in school?  THEY ARE IN SCHOOL YOU DIP SHIT.  OK, that reply might be too harsh but it is almost always right there on the tip of my tongue.  Good thing for you my parents raised me right and I just keep that little nugget to myself.  But yes, my child is in school.  Even while we are at the grocery store or walking in the park because if you've learned anything from this post I hope it's that homeschooling is a way of life.  Learning is natural and organic and it happens all the bloody time.


Well there you have it, my own personal list of things you should probably never say to a homeschooling Mom.  What would you add to this list?

When You Want to Go Veg- FIVE SIMPLE TIPS

Recently I have seen more and more folks reaching out to me with questions on food and healthy eating.  They want to eat less meat, they want to go vegetarian or full on vegan and are overwhelmed with where to start.  While I am NO expert and will NEVER claim to be, I have been travelling this path towards healthier, more plant based eating with a meat and potatoes lovin' husband and a picky child, for quite some time now and I've learned some very valuable things.

So how do you do this?  Where do you start?  Dearest Homeschooled Housewife, what advice and tips can you offer me?

Yay! I'm SO glad you've asked.  Here's the response that I've been giving to almost everyone who asks me these questions.

#1- Start small and go slow.  This is HARD and it's all about slow and steady to win this journey.  Don't feel bad if you have a day or two that didn't go as planned and seriously- don't put too much stress and pressure on this.  Focus on one night each week being completely meat free and slowly increase this over time.

#2- Eat more fruits and veggies.  Even if you ultimately decide not to give up meat- you simply need to be eating your fruits and vegetables.  Find ways to get them to your dining table and into your bodies!  Replace the junk food with sides of fruit and put the dark leafy greens in your smoothies.  Super easy! 

#3- If you want to go vegan, start by going vegetarian first.  Nothing kills good intentions quite like biting of more than you can chew.  And in case you didn't know this already- being Vegan takes WORK.  

#4- Stay away from fake foods.  So many people replace real meat with processed vegetarian or vegan foods instead of simply making it themselves.  Want to eat a burger?  Do not rush out a buy a Boca or other "meat replacement fake food" but choose to make yourself a black bean burger (these are AMAZEBALLS easy & so good!) or quinoa burger.  Better for you and cheaper too!

#5- Give up the the Protein Myth.  For the love of God, Americans eat far too much protein!  The truth is that if you eat a well balanced diet full of fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains- you are getting enough protein.  Take care to stay away from those nit picky sudden "Nutrition Experts" who want to question you about your protein and iron intake the moment you announce your move to meat free eating.

Well there you have it- my FIVE TIPS for getting started on a more humane diet.  And for those of you who are wondering, my family is completely vegetarian 5-6 days per week.  We allow for a cheat day or two every week because the truth is that we simply LOVE a real meat cheeseburger or a fabulous steak.  However we are VERY conscious of the meat we do choose to consume and I personally never buy factory farmed meat.  We go local!

In addition to our normal vegetarian diet, we are currently eating vegan dishes at least twice weekly.  I am slowly increasing this amount over time, but again- we LOVE our cheddar cheese and sour cream so this transition has been hard.  We are a normal family that has made this decision to eat a better quality, healthier, plant based diet.  We not only LOVE animals but we love ourselves enough to take the time and energy needed to ensure our bodies are healthy and whole from the inside out, just like you!

You can do this.  I promise you.

Psst...still here?  Check out my MASTER RECIPE LIST here for some easy and yummy vegan and vegetarian recipes.  Many of the vegetarian dishes can easily be converted to full on vegan by making a few simple changes.  Good stuff here y'all!  Enjoy!

Unexpected Gifts

The book- the husband found it at Barnes & Noble.

As part of my Valentine gift from the husband, he gave me this sweet "fill in the blank" book.  It's all about me and us and our love story and quite possibly one of the most thoughtful and romantic gifts he's ever given me.

This adorable little book resides in the top drawer of my nightstand and at least once a week I find myself pulling it and out reading through a few of it's sweet pages.  It's like a brand new gift each time.  

Recently I was thinking on the page where he had to fill in one thing he likes about me.  Now- ladies, I really thought I knew the answer to this one.  Seriously, I did.  And while I was probably right, the answer he gave still surprises me.

I Like Your ____________.

Style.

He said style! Gah.  I never would have guessed this one in a million, trillion years.  Mainly because the husband seems to fight my style at every turn.  He was not a fan of the colors I chose to paint the inside of our house, he doesn't like the stripes on the curtains, fiercely protested the shelving I've enlisted him to build and my clothes....well, goodness but it seems that he's always finding something he doesn't agree with.  Too short, too much skin, too much pink....you get the idea here mmkay...

So this answer was truly a BIG surprise.  He likes my style?  Say what now?!?

When I asked him about it, here was his answer- "I may not always know what your final plans are or why you do what you do, but I usually like the end result.  You have good taste in stuff"

So hmmmm.....he likes what I'm doing?  He likes the way I've decorated our home, he likes how I do things, he likes my personal style?  Wow.  I have to say that after almost 16 years of thinking he didn't really like my style but rather just tolerated it, I am FLOORED.  And so very happy because style is such a big part of who you are.  I'm glad that he sees this and he likes what he sees.  

What a wonderful gift he gave me this day.  Not just this treasure of a book but of the knowledge that he likes and appreciates so many of the bits and pieces that make me uniquely me.  It truly was such an unexpected gift in more ways than one.

A Real Food Easter Dinner

The last few years have seen a transformation in my hosting duties.  While we've been hosting family meals, holidays and birthdays for at least the past 7+ years, it's only been in the last couple of years that I have done all the cooking.

Say what?!?

I know, right?  Me?  Not do all the cooking?!?  Well the reason behind this is that my Dad is such a wonderful and skilled cook that I've just let him continue to do it all.  Ack.  I know...that's probably not very nice of me but as a busy Wife and Mom, it was simply easier and so this is how the division of holidays happened.  I hosted, decorated, baked desserts, cleaned etc and my parents schlepped over all the food.

Slowly I've been cooking more of the food as our diet has evolved and it's now become my duty to properly host.  Meaning doing almost all the cooking in addition to traditional hosting duties.  But here's the thing- while I LOVE and feel at home in the kitchen, I also am a big fan of EASY.  Yeah, easy meals are my JAM.    I like dishes that I can prep a day or so ahead of time, simple food that I can pop in the oven and let it do all the work for me or items that simmer away on the stove and allow me to socialize and visit with my guests.  Each year our menu changes just a bit but the basics remain the same.  Here's how I tackle a REAL food Easter dinner complete with MEAT (yeah, that is a rare sighting at my house indeed), apps and dessert.

The Basic Menu:

• Ham
• 2 veggie side dishes
• Potato
• Deviled Eggs
• Savory dessert
• Fruit/Appetizer

Let's begin with the ham.  This is LITERALLY THE ONE TIME PER YEAR THAT I COOK PORK.  Did you realize the significance of this through my use of capital letters?  But seriously- no joke, I do not cook pork (with the exception of Easter dinner) and I personally have not eaten pork in well over 20 years.  Well shit, I can't believe it's really been that long!  While I will occasionally buy the kiddo some Applegate Farms ham lunch meat, this is the only pork that enters my home and maybe just a handful of times each year at that!  The truth is that I simply don't buy much meat anymore and if we do want some bacon or sausage or I need it for a dish I'm cooking- then I will always buy turkey.  So let's just take a moment and appreciate the sacred rarity of the Ham gracing our dinner table mmkay....

With that being said, any meat that I purchase MUST always be raised humanely.  In addition, I prefer to find local meat so that I can better learn how it was treated and raised, what it ate, any chemicals it has ingested and so forth.  I typically place my holiday meat order a few weeks prior and arrange to pickup or have it delivered.  This year I was really contemplating NOT cooking a ham at all but the kiddo insisted that it simply wasn't Easter without one.  So I picked up a ham from our local PCC grocery store from Beeler's at the last minute.  If you can't find a local ham, this is the ham to buy.  A family owned company that truly cares about it's farm and it's animals- these pigs are raised on vegetarian diets with NO antibiotics, NO growth hormones and NO artificial preservatives.  This means your ham has been minimally processed, ate the very best diet (in fact they are in the process of converting to GMO free grain), is nitrate free and was raised ethically by a family of farmers who cares about it's animals and it's consumers.  WIN WIN y'all.

A simple glaze of brown sugar, OJ & cloves.

If you are going to eat meat, eat the very best you can.  Always.

Moving on, each year I do two simple vegetable side dishes.  This year I'm keeping it super easy and making one of them a big green salad.  Dude.  It does NOT get any easier and this is a cost effective crowd pleaser!  The other veg is a new recipe that I'm trying out this year, Smothered Green Beans.  Pretty much any vegetable dish will work here but I recommend finding something you can prep 'n pull.  Meaning, prep it ahead of time so there is LITERALLY nothing required from you other that pulling it out of the fridge, perhaps putting in the oven and then putting it on the table.  Prep 'N Pull folks, PREP 'N PULL.

You cannot have an Easter meal without having deviled eggs.  I'm pretty sure it's the law and since your kids have already helped you out by dying all those hard boiled eggs, you've got plenty available to fix yourself a big ole platter of deviled eggs.  Yum!

In addition to the two vegetable sides, I always do a potato dish of some sort.  Easter naturally lends itself to scalloped potatoes- which ROCK for an easy holiday side dish.  You can also do a simple pot of boiled Yukon Gold potatoes with butter, mashed potatoes or the like.  This year I will be making a favorite in my house, the Pioneer Woman's Potato Au Gratin.  It is ridiculously easy and then you can simply pop it in the oven with your ham.  A tip on this dish though- it takes twice as long to bake as it says it does.  Shame on you Ree, you could have messed up my meal timing all sorts of wrong!  Don't say I didn't warn you folks!

And because it's Easter and a holiday and a meal that should be SPECIAL, I always try to do something fun and themed around the holiday.  Many times, I will do this for the appetizer (if we have one) or for the dessert because well...it's just easier that way mmkay.  Just surf the Pinterest for some truly adorable Easter themed ideas! This year I am making a fruit platter in the shape of a bunny head.  Yeah, a bunny's mother truckin' head.  I guarantee you that it will be an instant hit with all the party people and it's a great way to get kids to eat something healthy.  Works well with veggies too!

Finally, we've reached my personal favorite for any meal- DESSERT.  Oh how I love me some dessert!  In our house, "desserting" is actually considered a hobby and holidays are where I get to really pull out all the stops.  Now, if you've followed me over on my Facebook page, you might remember that I made a carrot cake for the very first time this year per the husband's birthday dessert request.  And it was so AMAZEBALLS that I'm doing it again for Easter.  Just makes sense right?  Carrot cake for Easter? Perfection!

Well there you have it.  Not one single pre packaged, canned, boxed, frozen, chemical laden disaster will be gracing my Easter table this year.  Real food- it really is this simple.

From our family to yours we wish you a blessed Easter.

Ack! Holy Sore Throat Batman!

The kiddo has been spending more and more time socializing (see- homeschoolers DO know how to socialize mmkay...) and as a result, he's been exposed to more nasty germs.  After an entire day spent hanging with a friend, he developed a sore throat that evening.

Well crap.

You all should know that the kiddo has NEVER been really sick.  Like- actual sick sick.  I'm talking full blown week long cold, fever, chills, flu etc- yeah, he's never experienced this unpleasantness.  So he was quite miserable with his sore throat.  I immediately began him on a homeopathic regime, not to worry, I will outline it below.  It burned out of his system by day 2 and never fully developed.  So I guess one could say that the sick free streak continues....although I suppose it comes down to how you define "sick".

However, just as the nasty germs were vacating his body, they latched onto mine.  Oh yes...the glamour and prestige of being called Mom means you are fortunate enough to catch any and everything currently befalling the people inside your home.  Lucky for me, I knew it was probably heading my way and I had been taking precautions and then immediately began my own homeopathic regiment.  I am happy to say that I'm currently on day 3 and while it's held me in it's grasp just a bit longer than the kiddo, I am almost completely over whatever THIS was and it hasn't developed into anything major.  Hallelujah!

So how did we do this?  How have we been able to effectively STOP cold and flu like symptoms from developing?  Don't fret- I'm sharing it below!

Step 1:

• Immediately begin diffusing essential oils.  Like non-stop.  
• I always add some Thieves oil to anything I am diffusing during the cold and flu season.  Thieves is a great anti bacterial and helps combat these nasty germs.
• To the Thieves oil, I added my Breathe Easier blend from Eden's Garden.
• If you don't have Breathe Easier, simply mix lemon, peppermint, rosemary and eucalyptus.
• I had the diffuser on any time we were inside the house- especially at night!
  

Step 2:

•  Mix up a sore throat remedy using your essential oils.   
• Combine your carrier oil (I use organic coconut oil) with sage, peppermint, lemon, rosemary and thyme.
• Apply constantly to your throat, behind ears and if desired, to the side of your nostrils so you can breathe it in more easily.

Step 3:

• Make a batch of my Honey, Lemon and Ginger tea.  Drink it often.  

Step 4: 

• Whenever your throat feels especially sore, take a spoonful of honey to help soothe it.
• Your honey NEEDS to be local and raw.  Dude- it just does.  You most likely won't be able to buy this honey from your local grocery store.  And no- organic honey is NOT good enough!

Step 5:

• Pop the Zinc.
• Lots of ways to do this but for us we like these Elderberry and Zinc "cough" drops.  Although you don't need to wait to be actually coughing before you use them.
• Adults you might also try Zicam brand zinc melts.  They do make a kid's version but I've found it's not needed and the kiddo prefers the cough drops.   
  

Well that's it.  Just five easy steps to STOP the cold and flu symptoms in their tracks.  I can promise you that if you do these steps at the FIRST sign of illness, you will recover faster.  I truthfully haven't had a full blown cold in years and the last time I had the flu was easily seven years ago.  No joke.  It also goes without saying that your diet and overall lifestyle plays a big part in your health.  When you put good food in your body, REAL FOOD, you will be amazed at how much better you feel! 

Want to read more?

• Cold & Flu Season Survival Kit
• 10 Alternatives to the Flu Shot

How Much Time Does Homeschooling REALLY Take?!?

For some reason, that I've yet to really figure out why, people are under the impression that homeschooling takes up ALL your time.  Perhaps it's because public school does just this that folks naturally assume homeschooling will too?  This is really the only plausible reason that I've been able to come up with but even that answer seems a bit silly and outdated to me.

Here's the reality.  Homeschooling takes as long as you want it to take.  Period.

For those of you knee deep in it, you KNOW that homeschooling is more about a lifestyle and less about a formal education.  Homeschoolers have this unique ability to turn every single thing into a learning opportunity.  No joke.  Every.  Single.  Thing.  So I suppose that one could say that homeschooling takes a lifetime.

Let's just get serious about this question, that is why you're reading this blog post is it not?

In the early years, homeschooling is all about PLAY.  Seriously, this is literally ALL YOU NEED TO DO.  Play and be active, read, take walks and just be engaged with your child.  Dare I say, all the way up to 1st grade doesn't really need much of anything formal.  Children learn through play and this is exactly what's happening in the younger years.  Just relax, embrace it and have fun mmkay...

The middle grades are tough.  This is currently where we are at in our homeschooling journey and truth be told- the struggle is real y'all.  The math is harder, the resistance has grown and sometimes your up to your eyeballs in suck.  But even at this point, there's still plenty of PLAY, friends, the dreaded "socialization" and yes- even some actual schoolwork.  However, can I just tell you that once you hit the middle years- your coasting on quality work and NOT quantity work.  I would much rather spend 30 minutes on one concept and have the kiddo really learn it and understand it, then do 3 hours of busy work.  Busy work is bullshit y'all.  Don't waste your time or your kid's time.

Here's my tip for these middle years- pick and choose people.  Pick and choose.  What do you feel is important for your child to learn?  What activities are necessary for them?  Narrow it down because there is no way on God's green earth that you can possibly teach ALL THE THINGS and your kids have no interest in doing this.  So just stop.  Remember- BUSY WORK IS BULLSHIT.  So figure your business out mmkay and just focus on the things that you find important and necessary.

For us- this is math.  Gah but I freakin' hate math.  And so does the kiddo...but he's expressed a big interest in engineering, building and science and without math he will never be able to pursue his passion.  In addition, we also spend quite a bit of time on history, politics, the world around us, and community service.  It might sound like a lot but we just break this down into smaller units and we've accomplished our goals fairly quickly.


Several hours tops at this age.  For ALL THE THINGS.  I'm talking outside classes and work at home.  We make sure to leave plenty of down time and yes, time to socialize.

Well now we've found our way to the high school years.  I can't fully answer this question for you because we aren't there yet.  I can tell you that my high school years sucked because they were FULL of busy work and I seriously don't think that I retained a single thing from all those wasted years.  Except of course how to write my Mom's signature and get out of taking any type of science class ever.

I imagine that we will approach high school exactly as we have approached all the years before.  Relaxed, confident and a big emphasis on child led learning.  Listen to your kids people and follow their direction.  There is no place that this applies MORE than in these high school years.  Allow them to create their own path and trust in them that they know what that path may be.  At this point, I would imagine that you are simply the FACILITATOR.  You provide help on school work when needed, you find classes and get them registered, you support them in their goals and you are there when needed.  Seems easy enough to me.

OK.

So....how much time does homeschooling really take?!?

Well the answer to that one is complex.  If you approach homeschooling as a lifestyle, then it takes all your time without you really noticing.  If you approach it like a replica of public schooling, then I imagine it takes however long you want to spend doing it.  The early years are all about playtime, the middle years are for focusing on quality not quantity and the high school grades are for facilitating your children's goals and dreams.

For us, we spent maybe 20 to 30 minutes per day on formal learning when the kiddo in preschool and kindergarten.  And when I say "formal" this simply refers to reading, simply addition/subtraction and maybe some fun "learning" videos.  Clearly really casual mmkay...  The rest of this time was structured play and free play.  We also went to the local library, to music in the park, daily walks, field trips to zoo's and museums etc.  We spent time in the outside world.  As he has gotten older, the formal learning time has evolved and increased.  We are now up to an average of 2-3 hours each day with plenty of time left for activities and simply being a kid.  This doesn't factor in time spent playing Minecraft or bike riding- this is simply SIT DOWN AT A TABLE AND LEARN IN A FORMAL SETTING type of homeschool.  Some days we fall short of this time frame while others we far exceed it.  It simply depends on what it happening on any given day.  I imagine as the kiddo reaches the high school years, we will probably be at 3-4 hours each day of formal learning.  But y'all- I really don't see it going much beyond that.  In fact, this number might even decrease and I'm pretty OK with that.  Quality NOT quantity, remember?

The final answer?

It takes NO time at all because when you follow the path you desire, time doesn't matter.  Homeschooling is a way of life and you are constantly learning and growing.  It's organic and not forced, it happens in the every day.  So just relax and try not to worry so much about a timeframe.  Embrace the process mmkay...you got this.

Friend Requests Spell TROUBLE

I am TERRIFIED every time one of the kiddo's friend's Mom finds my personal Facebook page and sends me a friend request.  Especially if they homeschool.

While it is NEVER my intention to offend anyone, on either of my pages...well, my own personal page is just that- it's mine.  It's for fun and silly meme's and swearing with girlfriends if I so choose.  It's dedicated to my love for vodka and curse words and occasionally I might include a photo of the family.  Maybe.  I tend to not post personal, introspective stuff here so it is very much all about the surface.  It's a one dimensional view of who I am but certainly NOT the whole part of me.

So can you just imagine when someone who doesn't know ME all that well stumbles upon this business?!?

I'm afraid that they will judge the surface and forget all the good conversations we've had.  I'm afraid they won't allow our children to be friends anymore.  But do I stop being me?  Do I restrict who I am so that I don't offend or upset anyone?

Fuck no.

Truthfully, I struggle with this.  I have a VERY public page and persona.  Yes, this is 100% me.  I am as open and honest as I can be while travelling this journey of homeschooling, marriage and motherhood.  As a result, it is very easy for new acquaintances to find me and get a glimpse of our life as a family.  However, this is just a piece of me.  There is also a very private side that enjoys a good vodka and lemonade and likes to say bad words.  Usually when my kid isn't present praise Jesus.

It's all me.  Just as you all have lots of different facets to your life and your personality.  But if someone new were to see just a tiny portion of it- would this change how they ultimately view you?  Probably so.

Let me also be clear and tell you all that I truly don't care what others think of me.  If I did, I probably wouldn't share half the stuff with you all that I do.  But I do care about my kid.  And when other parents wrongly judge me, they also judge my child.  And this sucks.  Balls.

So I still struggle with this.  I want to be myself and I want to have authentic relationships with people but I also don't wish to walk around offending everyone.  There is a time and place for everything after all...and I get this.

How do we proceed?  Do we simply NOT accept any new friend requests?  Do we not share little bits of ourselves?  Do we keep everything hidden and private?

Gah!  That just sounds like no fun to me.

For now I've decided to accept the new friend's on my personal page.  I still THINK before I post anything but I am also not limiting who I am.  If you're my "friend", you are simply going to get an inside view into a little piece of me.  But please remember- this is just a small portion of who I am, not the entire piece.  In turn, I will also try to keep this in mind when I view your Facebook.  Because goodness- you're weird too!  We all are and that's the beauty of it all!

Happy Friending Y'all!