I just finished watching my two young granddaughters for five hours, and right now, my brain is a little scrambled. But I want to tell you something.
We played Go Fish. We brushed our teeth. A few of us cried upon occasion. We pretended that we were 
Laura and Mary from the Little House series, complete with bonnets and a baby doll named Carrie. We wrapped two presents “all by myself.” We tried to do some of the homeschool their mommy sent with them. {We really did try, Mommy.} We memorized two verses for AWANA tonight, which involved gluing little googley eyes on the page for the verse “My eyes have seen Your salvation” for the three-year old. And, oh yes, we baked gingerbread muffins in little heart-shaped mini-muffin tins. Some of us even got to eat lunch.
All of this is to say that I THINK YOU, HOMESCHOOL MOM, ARE AMAZING!
I do this for a few hours or days at a time, but you wrestle with this life and this pace every day. You try to get some school done while attempting to balance the needs of each child, your spouse, your house, your church, and yourself. You feel the pinch, but you keep on going.
You are amazing.
You homeschool despite the negativity in the press, from your neighbors, and sometimes even in your church or extended family. People view homeschooling askance; they believe you are a little crazy, backward, or possibly slightly dangerous. And yet you plow on.
Which is astounding.
Friends, neighbors, and church people ask you to watch their kids because, after all, you are home all day. You are guilted into working in the church or in the community because, really, what else do you have to do? And, often, you make yourself available to these people.
Do they know how remarkable you are?
I homeschooled my three children for 18 years. Some days I felt more sane than others, and every night I fell into bed exhausted.
But that was a long time ago. My youngest is now in her 30s. Quite frankly, I do not remember how I balanced everything and everyone. I know it was hard, some days impossible. I loved homeschooling, as I believe you do. I knew it was the right thing for our family, and my husband was very helpful to me. I prayed to God for wisdom and strength and courage. I wanted to bless my children, not just teach them.
This is no three-point, how-to article. I have no nuggets of golden advice. I just want to convey to you today that I think you, the homeschool mother, are praiseworthy.
I have a deep appreciation for homeschool mothers and the work you do. When my daughter picked up her daughters this afternoon, I hugged her and said, “I don’t know how you get anything done.”
But then, I look at the list of things we did. It’s a good list.
And I need a nap.
May God richly bless your busy days,
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