JJ is such a funny boy.  Which we all know, as i have a blog basically dedicated to his funniness (or “spiritedness”, thank you early childhood development authors for changing the label from my original “driving me to hide all pointed objects . . . from both of ourselves”).  But the other day while wandering the isles at Mr. Meyer’s:

“Mama, mama, look!  It’s a pirate, just like Bob and Larry!”  Yeah, not so much.

I was feeling under the weather, and JJ told me:

“You go down and lay on couch and eat food and drink water, and I feel you lemon and take care of you, cause that’s nice!”

And because it is that time of year, JJ is getting to open a window a day from his Advent calendar (you know, the Advent calendar my mother-in-law sent last year but I forgot to give to him:  apparently the chocolate is okay, or JJ just doesn’t care).

“Mama, it’s time to open my number today on my Activity calendar!”  That would be a combination of Advent and Nativity. 

I really don’t know what to do with that boy, in so many respects.

It seems the last few times I’ve hung out with my dad, the question has popped up:  “So . . . (insert grandparently “I have all the answers, and even if I don’t, you still have to find the right one” look), what are you going to do for school for that boy?”

Dun dun dun DUNNNNNNNN.

To which I promptly melt, perfectionist that I am, and wail, “I DON”T KNOW!!  There is no good answer!!”  Because I’m melodramatic that way, too.  [Insert my no-bones flop, which I had perfected by the age of one.  That, and the tantrum fall-smack-dabb-on-the-floor-and-become-dead-weight-when-you-tell-me-no-but-only-sometimes-and-you'll-never-know-if-this-is-one-of-those-times-until-you-try-it-so-are-you-feeling-lucky?  What can I say?  I've got mooooves].

Sometimes I think about homeschooling JJ.  Yes, you did read that correctly.  Yes, I can hear the collective world wide web whipping their head about and saying, “Are you crazy?”  And after spending a morning and afternoon in which JJ did not.stop.talking., I asked my dad if he thought that was still a good idea, which originally he seemed to be inclined towards.  Now, methinks the inclination is leaning in another direction.

But see, if I did homeschool, I think there could be so many fun opportunities.  And I remember being So Bored at school:  finish a paper, and then wait.wait.wait.wait until everyone else caught up.  And, lately, I’m really enjoying the days I don’t have to leave my house (i.e. driving JJ to school, even though it’s just a 30 minute round trip, annoys me.  A lot.).

Sometimes I think about how dreamy it will be when he steps onto that school bus to be carted away to a wonderful, supportive environment with pleasant children and a nurturing teacher that helps each child reach their true potential.  And then I realize that I’m remembering a Star Trek episode that ended badly with that scenario, and the reality is that public school is, well, public, and I’m not in control, but boy howdy, you certainly learn the language of your culture quickly (I knew all the swear words by first grade, thank you, Ryan and Alex).

There’s always private Christian school.  But oh, the money.  And but oh, I remember friends who went a little “wonky” post-private Christian school, either diving off the deep end into scary places, or walling themselves up in the Evangelical Fortress of Solitude.

So the perfectionist in me melts down because there.is.no.right.answer.  And I’m not certain what to do with my funny little boy.  And I realize this whole parenting thing is some multiple choice but more fill in the blank or essay question.  [Obviously JJ's rocking the lit section, the Pirate Lit section ].

JJ Jawings, Mama Musings