We’ve started back to school, and are already on our sixth week. SIXTH?!
Trust us when we say, that’s not a humblebrag. We started early since we will be completely losing our heads relocating at some point this year, and I seriously just had to check the calendar because head spin.
Homeschool is how we roll around these parts, and they’re doing really well. Killing it in math and spelling, and all things adjectives and fractions and other things I’d forgotten from grade school. They’re in a group science class, with a side of American History and taking on two sports each – We did our research, and dove in, and it’s just been a game changer with the whole curriculum change around here {thanks to the recommendation of you awesome readers}! We love it.
One of my life goals has been accomplished if I can get my children to devour books. I feel as though I’m doing something right. High fives from the universe, and stuff. So we thought piecing together our literature this year would be a fun supplement to what they already have. Aiden, our oldest, has tackled a few of the classics lately… now a voracious reader, I assigned a few off the list of what I considered rite-of-passage books from one of our favorite authors: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach. He loved them.
It feels a bit like we’re growing up and into this role as a homeschooling family. I’m pretty sure we’ve given each other a few high fives because we didn’t know we would be tackling school that way again this year. Chest bump. We can do this, we said. We’re making them cultured and well rounded and stuff, we said.
Cue parental karma, because we were overdue.
You guys know how it goes: Whenever you think you’ve got it right, or that you’re at the beginnings of figuring it out, falling into your groove and changing the world with what you pour into your offspring, giving yourselves those inner pats-on-the-back… that’s when reality decides to take you down a notch. Or two.
Karma is a freaking jerk. And this is how it happened.
Family dinner.
There we were, gathered around the kitchen table, for pizza a home cooked meal and valuable family time.
It was then, that Emerson piped up when I asked her how Gymnastics went that afternoon. “It was really fun! We worked on our cartwheels and back bends and we got to go on the beam!” She began. But then she made a face, “There was this one girl in my class, though. She was kinda bossy and…” she hesitated. “She was being a real… you know…”
And it was as if she stopped, to find the perfect word to describe her.
“An ASS?” Aiden piped up. He was so very happy to contribute a valuable vocabulary word to the conversation.
You know that moment, when you feel that if you overreact, it will not bode well for you?
We didn’t have time to think through that one. Because Jamin and I both whipped our heads in his direction simultaneously in shock, with “What?!“
I have no idea why. We knew what he said. I think we were quickly scanning our own brains, both searching our latest and greatest vocab history, to see who the guilty party was.
I mean, it’s not like we have regular classmates to blame it on… the buck stops here, y’all.
“An ASS!” He exclaimed and burst into laughter.
Of course the six and seven year olds also thought this was hysterical, as they really had never heard such a word before. {Right now, the s-word still means ‘stupid’. We try.}
“Ass?!” they repeated. And it was like this domino effect meant for us to live out in slow motion.
“Ass!” Aiden erupted again.
More hysterical laughter.
“Ass! Ass! ASS!” They chanted.
We could tell the novelty wouldn’t wear off any time soon.
As it turns out, Aiden learned the word from no other than his latest read: James and the Giant Peach. Assigned by me. His most excellent, knowledgeable, amazing teacher. {Read that last sentence with a side of dripping sarcasm}
After having a talk about how the word ass is, in fact, a “bad word” in our society and explaining the context it was once used in, we put out the fire.
For now.
They’ll probably bust it back out in Sunday School. Good times.
At least they’ve been exposed to the classics. In more than one way.
I. Regret. Nothing.
Ever have a mom fail?
You know. Like the time you served delivery pizza 5 days in one week or the laundry room looked like it was waiting for the hoarders TV crew?
We understand.
Truly.
And we want to celebrate mothers everywhere….mom fails included.
Guess what? Today, La-Z-Boy will be celebrating mothers across North America, surprising and delighting them with giveaways that will help them take comfort after the chaos of the first days of school. We spend hours prepping for those important moments, and sometimes things just don’t go as we planned. And sometimes, we fail.
So here’s to celebrating the imperfect moments.
We’ve teamed up with the talented Infarrantly Creative, Pretty Handy Girl, and Thistlewood Farms to give away 150 – $10 gift card to Starbucks! The catch? You will have to fess up and tell us about your #momfail.
But, before you back out, we have one more amazing prize! One lucky person will win a $500 gift card to Amazon.
And if that’s not enough, La-Z-Boy will be giving away even more prizes all…day…long!
You’re almost guaranteed to win!
Here’s how to play:
1. Follow infarrantlycreative, prettyhandygirl, thehandmadehome, and thistlewoodfarms
2. Snap a picture on Instagram and tell us your latest #momfail.
3. Use the hashtags #momfail
4. Tag @infarrantlycreative, @prettyhandygirl, @the_handmade_home, and @thistlewood
If you win, we will leave a comment on your post! Be sure to peek out from that mountain of laundry, because you’ll have to email us back within 48 hours to claim your prize.
You’re not alone in your #momfail. We can’t wait to see!
MomofTwoPreciousGirls says
Well, I’m anti-Instagram (basically anti-anything “mainstream”…I know, I’m a rebel!) but I will share my fail here! Last night at our Labor Day dinner, after some wonderful rounds of Glow In The Dark Mini Golf (Putt-Putt?), the children were coloring their little menu things so I was playing a game on my phone. When things did not go well I said “Oh you stinkin’ mother”…TOTALLY refraining from the remainder of the sentence. My 7 year old sweet little girl very calmy and in a totally normal voice says “Oh wait let me guess f!@k”. I was so in shock and she was acting as if nothing happened. Meanwhile hubby and I have our menus in front of our faces laughing hysterically! Of course, we then followed with the same “That is a word for adults only and you don’t say that, blah blah blah”. Stellar mom moment (becaue I know it’s totally my fault!!).
ashley @ the handmade home says
I. Would. Have. Died. ALL THE FACES EMOJIS! ;} HAHAHA!
Colleen from Alabama says
I’m not on social media (gasp) primarily because my husband is a Public high school teacher and the kids he teaches are smart enough to hack into just about anything so I don’t want my stuff out there… If you know what I mean! Anyhoo, my epic fail has happened many times after telling one of my kids (I’ve done it to both of them so yeah, EPIC) to suck it up and stop whining over some ache or pain they are complaining about only to discover there was something more serious going on. The most memorable was when my daughter was running at the annual elementary school track meet and she noticeably pulled up half way through the race and just kind of lolly gagged the last part. When I asked her what was wrong, she replied, “my feet hurt!” To which I responded, “well, that’s what happens when you run as hard as you can, everybody else’s feet are hurting too!”. After a lot of whining, we went to the doctor to discover that she had sievers. Which is irritation in the growth plate of the foot, and painful. Yeah. Yay mom… Fail.
Lisa R. says
I just read your partner in crimes I mean fellow blogger’s post, Thistlewood Farms, and the two of you have me cracking up! Yours reminded me on one Christmas Eve when my Mom-in-law made all three granddaughters customer decorated sweatshirts based off of her nick name for them. My oldest daughter was Tweety so hence Tweety bird decorations, my youngest daughter was Ladybug, you get the idea and I forget what she called my niece. So my youngest brother–in-law asks, “What would mine say?” and I blurted out, Pain in the A**. At the time my niece was only about three and she was sitting right next to me! I thought her dad, my oldest brother-in-law was going to strangle me. Of course everyone was cracking up except him…
It was a few years before we got to watch her on our own….