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The Truth About the Book Deal

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Posted on 29th June 2007 by mishakennedy in miscellaneous

I just read a very interesting article on book deals: http://www.nyobserver.com/2007/my-book-deal-ruined-my-life?page=0%2C0

I found it interesting not because it was news to me, but because I know it was probably news to the general public.

I recently toured a homeless shelter and had a life skills session with the residents. I found out on my arrival that the residents had been preparing for my arrival for several days – they were nervous and unsure of what to wear. I was stunned to find this out. I had no idea that my arrival could cause such a ruckus! While I did feel flattered, I also felt very guilty. And so, when we all sat down around the table at the session, eating our pizza, I began by letting everyone know that being an author is not always what we think it is.

“I am not,” I told them, “a rich and famous author. I did not get paid a million dollars – or anywhere near it – to write my book. I drive a 1992 Volvo station wagon and grow my own vegetables.”

The residents were stunned. They thought for sure that I was a millionaire. That I lived in a big mansion and had a lot of spare cash. My house is fairly big, I told them, but it’s no mansion – it’s a fixer-upper that I rarely have time to fix.

Writing is a great job. Let me say that I have not had the horror of experiences that some of the writers in the NY Observer article have had. But I’ve also learned a lot. The first thing I learned, early on, is that writing is my occupation. I am fairly good at it. I enjoy it. And not a lot of people can say all of those things. But it’s not my life. I know many writers who make writing their world. They go to writers’ groups and conferences. They eat, sleep and breathe writing – and the world of literature.

I was very close to following this path. When Without a Net (my “big” book) was on the verge of getting a publisher, I went to bed nervous all of the time. I couldn’t wait to hear if it would get a “big” publisher and an even bigger advance. It did…and didn’t. I got the big publisher – Viking – and a small advance, broken up into even smaller pieces over a two-year period.

I wasn’t exactly crushed – but I was disappointed. Didn’t a small advance mean I would get no publicity? Did it mean my book was already doomed to obscurity? Well, yes and no. But I pursued and helped the publicity department get as much as I could going for it. And looking back, I achieved with that book, almost everything a new writer could hope to achieve…except the bestseller list. I got a review in the Sunday New York Times Book Review – as well as the LA Times, and many other fine publications. I was interviewed on more radio stations than I can count. And – my favorite of all – I got to do a commentary on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition.

And then I got a call from an Oprah producer. They loved the book, wanted to have me on, but couldn’t figure out in what capacity – so hang out for a couple of days and we’ll see if we can fit you in.

OK! I danced. I called all of my friends. I gloated. I couldn’t believe it was happening.

Then I got an email from my publicist. Oprah can’t fit you in – oh and by the way, there were a dozen other shows who were interested, but we had to put them off because Oprah was interested and now they aren’t interested anymore either.

Oh.

A year later, Oprah called again. I was subdued, but still hopeful and anxious.

They replaced me with Morgan Spurlock.

A funny aside is that I did an awards banquet in Seattle where Morgan SpurlockĀ  was the first choice as the speaker. He costs $20,000 to speak for 20 minutes – for a homelessness and poverty organization. They called me. I usually speak for the cost of travel and a babysitter. I got to replace Morgan.

Somehow I don’t think he feels bitten by the experience.

It’s been an interesting couple of years since Without A Net came out. I’ve been flown around the country to speak for people who have moved me in ways beyond words – and I’ve been crushed by the madness that is the world of publishing.

I have another book proposal out now…making the rounds. Maybe it will get picked up – maybe not. It’s not the kind of book that will ever make it on Oprah – although I still hold out hope, sometimes, that they will call me again someday.

Writing isn’t my life (anymore), it’s my job. It’s one of many that I have. I am also a mom, a wife and a farmer – among other things. I love to write. I am very happy to call myself a writer (and a farmer and a mom). I am happy that I get to do the thing I want to do for a (very modest) living. But I can’t drink myself into a Hemingway-esque stupor lamenting or praising the literary life.

I have too much other stuff to do. I’m off now to make some strawberry jam for the winter!

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To Homeschool or Not to Homeschool?

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Posted on 22nd June 2007 by mishakennedy in homeschool

Because I have homeschooled all of my children at one time or another – and currently have two who are homeschooled – and two teens who are not (Jack is just 2 and doing his own thing!), I get asked a lot of questions about homeschooling. Here are some of the more common questions and my replies. If you have a question – please email me anytime – misha@mishakennedy.com, and I’ll be happy to reply.

What does it mean to homeschool?

Homeschooling is different for everyone. For some, it means to simply replicate a classroom environment at home. These families might turn one room into a schoolroom complete with desks, a chalkboard and an alphabet chart at the top. They might also give out report cards, schedule field trips and work each day from 8 to 3.

For others, it means to totally turn conventional schooling on its head. These families might not adhere to any schedule and some utilize the method of completely student-guided learning, where what the child is interested in dictates what the parents help them learn about. For these families, there may be no such thing as a report card or a test.

Many families do a little of both. They like the idea of a relaxed schedule and student-guided learning, but still follow a strict curriculum for subjects like math and science. Or they might involve the student in their home business or farm and allow them to read and study different subjects at their own pace. Some might purchase a curriculum – or join an online school, but still allow their child to have the afternoons to themselves to do a project that inspires them.

One of the most interesting aspects of homeschooling is that every family can choose what works for each child in their family. One child might respond – and need – a very formal curriculum that has them do A, B and C before D, E, and F. And then gets a test on it at the end of a certain time period. Another child in the family might be able to work very well on their own and might have the motivation to learn about certain topics with little more than guidance from Mom and Dad.

What are the benefits?

The benefits to homeschooling are enormous and varied – depending on each person’s goals. A particularly gifted child will have the free reign to go as far as they can (or want to) in a homeschool setting without having to wait for other classmates to catch up.

A student who has interests in areas that are not taught in the local school can excel in a homeschool environment because they can explore their interests without losing valuable time on topics of little interest to them.

John Holt said, “The human animal is a learning animal. We like to learn, we need to learn, we are good at it, and we don’t need to be shown how or be made to do it. What kills the process is people interfering with it or trying to regulate it or control it.”

Allowing a child to learn without trying to instill a prescribed list of achievements is a huge benefit to some families. So is family closeness. Families who homeschool are very close because they spend so much time learning, living and playing together as a family. Further, because the family is at the heart of the child’s daily life, the child is more apt to be affected by the family’s values, as opposed to those of a child’s peers.

Flexibility is one of the benefits most often cited by homeschooling families. Rather than having to wait to “do something fun” in the summer or over a school vacation, the family can schedule their life as it suits them. This also gives children the opportunity to explore real life by being a part of it – rather than having it shown to them in an artificial environment.

What are some of the challenges?

There are many challenges in homeschooling – as there are in any other lifestyle choice. You might start out with a lot of enthusiasm – buying all sorts of great materials and then find yourself stagnating, or bored after the honeymoon period is over. You might find that you get frustrated trying to teach your child a particular subject, ready to blow your top over long division. Or perhaps you feel like you are spending all of your time on homeschooling and you never get to do anything else.

Like with anything else, transitioning to homeschooling requires time, energy and flexibility. Remember too, that while your children were at school six or seven hours a day, they never spent all of that time learning something. In fact, some education experts have postulated that in a six-hour school day, a child spends perhaps as little as one full hour actually engaged in learning. The rest of that time is spent on lining up, walking to and from classes or “specials,” disciplinary issues, recess, breaks, lunch, and what have you.

The amount of time actually spent on one individual child (if that child is not on an IEP – or Individualized Education Plan) is more like five minutes.

Bear this in mind when things are rough going. One of the benefits of homeschooling is having the time to take a break if one is needed – whether that break is for an hour – or a week or two. You can move on to something else when one subject is frustrating. Or if you are becoming bored, try and shake things up. Following a regimented plan only fosters these challenges rather than helping to alleviate them.

Don’t I have to be a teacher?

You do not have to be a certified teacher to homeschool. However, you are a teacher. You are a parent, and so by default, you are a teacher. Think of all of the things you have already taught your child. You may have taught him how to tie his shoes, how to hold a fork, how to use the bathroom, how to swim or how to ride a bike. These might seem like simple things to you – and perhaps they were, but you had to employ teaching techniques – whether you knew it or not – that were probably custom made for your child, in order to teach him or her a specific thing.

For example, when my oldest was ready to learn to tie his shoes, I used the same method that my father used on me: tie the square knot; make a loop, etc. etc. However, when my fourth child was learning how to tie his shoes, this simple play-by-play instruction did not work for him. He lacked fine motor skills that his older brother had at his age. So, I watched him work at it for a while and then helped him devise a way to tie his shoes that worked for him.

It’s the same with anything else. You know what your child is good at and you know what your child enjoys. This knowledge will help you guide your child in his or her learning experiences.

What if there is a subject my child wants to learn but I can’t teach?

This happens more often with older children and can easily be rectified in a number of ways. First, if it’s something you feel like you could learn – you can learn it along with your child, perhaps seeking out books or expert-based Web sites to guide you on your quest.
If it’s something like Algebra, you could try and find a friend or mentor with whom your child can work. Often a teenager who has already been through such a class will be willing to help out for a few dollars an hour, or a great reference on a college application.

If this doesn’t work out, there are an ever-multiplying number of schools that have gone online and offer a wide range of courses with teachers. Or, your child can simply take the course at the local public school. In most states, a school is required to offer any child in their district a place in a class – regardless of whether or not the child goes to that school full-time.

Obviously, for music and other classes, private lessons may have to be sought out, but a growing number of music schools, YMCAs and other organizations are starting to offer homeschool classes during the middle of day, so that homeschool children don’t have to compete for space with after school programs.

What about my special needs child?

There are many parents that have had wonderful successes homeschooling their special needs child. Some of the most important advice such parents give other parents who are looking into homeschooling such a child for the first time is to first find out everything you can about your child’s condition.

Then you will need to check with your state’s department of education and determine what the legal requirements are for educating a child with your child’s particular challenge.
Further, you will want to make sure that you are taking full advantage of what your state offers as far as education opportunities for your child. They may be required to offer occupational, physical or speech therapy services as well as a variety of other services.

In addition, every parent of a special needs child emphasizes the need for patience – not only with your child, but also with the system itself. Patience with oneself is also required as too often as parents we can get down on ourselves if we lose our cool – or don’t see improvement fast enough.

Also, homeschooling a special needs child can be physically and emotionally draining. All homeschooling parents need to take a break for themselves from time to time, but parents of special needs children will benefit from help if only to prevent burn-out.

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Alli: This is what the FDA approves?

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Posted on 21st June 2007 by mishakennedy in food

So, I am innocently watching the morning news the other day (on one of my two TV channels) and there is a story about the miracle drug that’s going to help people lose weight. Now, I have no interest in such a pill, but I am always interested in the next miracle that the FDA has approved, so I paid attention.

Alli, the reporter stated, keeps the body from absorbing fat. Hence, making you thinner. One woman claimed to lose something like 37 pounds in 6 months.

A while back, Matt (my oldest, he was probably about 9 at the time), saw a TV commercial for a pill that was supposed to help you quit smoking or something. And he said, “Do they have a pill now for everything?” And I remember saying, “Not yet, but someday…”

So Alli is supposed to enhance your current weight loss replace it (blah, blah, blah). OK. But apparently it does this by not allowing your body to absorb fat. The Alli web site puts it like this: “The active ingredient in alli attaches to some of the natural enzymes in the digestive system, preventing them from breaking down about a quarter of the fat you eat. Undigested fat cannot be absorbed and passes through the body naturally. The excess fat is not harmful. In fact, you may recognize it in the toilet as something that looks like the oil on top of a pizza.”

Gross.

The reporter in the story I was watching recommended – get this – that you take an extra pair of pants with you when you go out because it’s not just like having to run to the bathroom all of the time – apparently, and I’m sorry for being graphic – the fat can “ooze” out of the only place fat can ooze out of.

The people at Alli say that if you don’t eat fatty foods, this effect won’t happen – so it’s just another way it helps you control what you eat. They also suggest keeping a food journal so that you can keep track of the foods that have you running for cover.

I think that if their point is to get me to eat salad all of the time, which has no fat in it, then what’s the point of their drug? They clearly state that the drug won’t work on the enzymes that absorb carbs. So…

Eat salad, eat some fruit, eat whole grains. Avoid paying $50 bucks for Alli – and avoid those embarrassing runs to be bathroom. Frankly, any diet plan that recommends I bring spare pants with me when I go out is not my idea of a good plan.

For more on Alli go to: www.myalli.com

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Why I Choose Cloth Diapers (Over and Over Again).

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Posted on 19th June 2007 by mishakennedy in cloth diapers

It was an ordinary afternoon at the basketball field. I was on the bleachers watching my oldest (again) play and was simultaneously wrestling my almost two-year-old (he arches his back and slams his head into my chest and I snuggle him to keep him from falling down a flight of bleacher stairs). I checked his diaper and proceeded to change him in a secluded spot, nothing unusual so far – except that when I turned my head to retrieve his new diaper, I noticed several moms looking over my shoulder.

I looked up from my spot on the floor and said, “Hi,” in an obviously-confused manner.

“What are you doing?” one of the ladies said.

“Changing Jack’s diaper,” I replied, trying not to “crack wise” as my grandmother would have said.

“What is that?” another lady said, pointing to Jack’s diaper.

“A diaper,” I said, wondering if I had to start speaking slowly and loudly too. And then it dawned on me why they were looking at me so strangely.

“Oh,” I said. “It’s a cloth diaper.”

“Really?” one of the mom’s asked. “You do that?”

“Yeah,” I said. “I have for years.”

“Gross,” was one mother’s reply. “I could never do that,” another said. “I wish I could,” said another, “but it’s just too much.”

Their reactions shouldn’t have surprised me, but they did a little. I mean, I understand thinking that cloth diapers can be a hassle, but to not even recognize one when they saw it?

After the initial shock wore off, I proceeded to give the other mothers a small class – what I like to call Cloth Diapers 101.

The first question is always, “Why do I use cloth diapers?”

Why wouldn’t I?

Let’s first put aside the fact that cloth diapers are really soft and it’s the only thing I can imagine putting next to my baby’s even softer skin. Let’s look at a disposable diaper. A disposable diaper contains traces of dioxin – a very toxic chemical bi-product of the paper-bleaching process. It is a carcinogenic chemical and is classified by the EPA as being the most toxic of all the cancer-linked chemicals. It is banned in most countries.

Disposables also contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) – a known toxic pollutant said to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals.

Disposables have that lovely gel inside them – sodium polyacrylate – a super absorbant polymer that has been linked to Toxic Shock Syndrome.

If I spend so much time making sure that my baby only tries one food at a time to prevent food allergies – how on Earth can I validate putting this stuff on an area of extreme sensitivity.

There is also that whole environmental issue that often comes up. According to Carl Lehrburger,author of Diapers in the Waste Stream: A review of waste management and public policy issues:
“In 1988, over 18 billion diapers were sold and consumed in the United States that year.
“The instructions on a disposable diaper package advice that all fecal matter should be deposited in the toilet before discarding, yet less than one half of one percent of all waste from single-use diapers goes into the sewage system.
“Over 92% of all single-use diapers end up in a landfill.
“In 1988, nearly $300 million dollars were spent annually just to discard disposable diapers, whereas cotton diapers are reused 50 to 200 times before being turned into rags.”

Further, disposables generate 60 times more solid waste and use 20 times more raw materials like crude oil and wood pulp, than cloth diapers.

In 1991, an attempt towards recycling disposable diapers was made in the city of Seattle, involving 800 families, 30 day care centers, a hospital and a Seattle-based recycler for a period of one year. The conclusion made by Procter & Gamble was that recycling disposable diapers was not an economically feasible task on any scale.

“But I can’t be responsible for the whole world,” one mom said.

“No,” I replied, “but we can be responsible for our part in it. Besides, cloth diapers are way cheaper than disposables.”

“No, they’re not, they are so expensive to buy,” she said.

“At first,” I replied. “But I purchased five dozen diapers for Matt 14 years ago and I am still using diapers that I used on him on Jack. I’ve bought a dozen or two for each kid in between, but that’s it.”

Cloth diapers are only around $20 a dozen. If one does the math out, for let’s say two children (I have five, and any math done for five children is daunting). Buy five dozen diapers – at $20 a dozen off Ebay. That’s $100. Buy 10 pairs of nylon cover pants – maximum price of $10 a piece, but again, you can always get them cheaper than that at thrift stores, yard sales or online. That’s another $100. Some diaper pins – $2.00. $202.00 And both kids are diapered for as long as need be. And then you have to do the laundry. But you were going to do the laundry anyway. So adding a couple of loads a week (and small ones at that) shouldn’t add too much to the mix.

$200 compared to disposables which cost approximately $20 a package – $10 if you buy cheap ones. A newborn baby will get at least 12 changes a day – at least! And a toddler will take 6-8. So, let’s say 10 diapers a day on average for 28 months. 8,540 diapers. Wow. I did a little comparison shopping at Amazon.com and found that one can get 140 diapers for approximately $35. That’s about 25 cents a piece for a diaper – pretty good. Multiply that by 8,540 and that’s a whopping $2135.00 spent on disposables over a two year (ish) period. I don’t know about you, but I can think of a lot of ways to spend $2000. And that’s bargain shopping – that doesn’t count the $10 you have to spend on a quick package of 10 diapers at the convenience store because you ran out.

My new friends at the basketball game were shocked – they thought of themselves as being a pretty frugal bunch, but had never calculated the personal financial cost of using disposables.

“But what about diaper rash?” one of the moms asked.

For me personally, I have had five children in cloth diapers and not one has ever had a diaper rash problem. Once in a while one will get a little redness, but it’s nothing that can’t be helped with a little Lansinoh or A&D Ointment. I have babysat for a lot of kids and the worse cases of diaper rash were on kids who were in disposables – and usually those kids were left in their diapers a little too long. Further, I don’t put a cover on my baby’s diaper unless we are going out somemwhere and we need to prevent leakage – otherwise, my baby is in a pinned, organic cotton diaper, with air circulating and not a rash in sight.

My system for cloth diapering is almost as simple as disposable diapering. I keep a 5 gallon bucket in the bathroom (which is also my laundry room) half-filled with water and a couple of spoonfuls of baking soda. When a diaper is wet, it comes off the baby and gets thrown in the bucket. A new diaper is put on the baby. Done. If the diaper is a little more, shall we say, involved, then it gets dunked in the toilet before being placed in the bucket.

If we are out and about, the offending diaper gets placed in a ziplock bag and then placed in the bucket when we get home.

And that’s it. I do a load of diapers probably every two or three days – small loads, hot water, no bleach. In the winter I use the dryer or hang by the woodstove – in the spring, summer and fall, I hang them outside.

Believe it or not, where I live, using cloth is actually more convenient than using disposables because I live very far from the nearest grocery store and our local stores do not always carry diapers. Being able to just run upstairs and run a load of laundry is much easier than strapping the kids in the car, buying gas, going to the grocery store, spending the money on the diapers, and then driving all the way home.

“But what about the poop?” a mom asked me again. Is it really so inconceivable that we must sometimes have to deal with poop? I know many women who clean out litter boxes and carry little bags around behind their dogs – without so much as an “ick” but their own child’s poop? Blech! Poop is not that big a deal. Even with a disposable you still have to look at it, smell it and clean it off a baby. You can’t get away from it. And – with a disposable, you are supposed to put the offensive matter into a toilet before throwing it away – it’s just that no one ever does. If you can clean up after your dog, why not your child?

As it was once said (on a bumper sticker) “Poop Happens.”

Resources:
Ebay.com
The Real Diaper Association – realdiaperassociation.org
The Diaper Hyena – thediaperhyena.com
Ecobaby – ecobaby.com

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Good Article on Giving Birth

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Posted on 18th June 2007 by mishakennedy in miscellaneous

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/louise-marie-roth/on-giving-birth_b_52048.html

I was heartened by the article and disturbed by some of the comments – so much so that I actually commented myself – a rarity for me. It’s nice to an article these days by a woman who was happy to give birth naturally – rather than the new vogue of being happy to give birth by c-section by choice or the new and improved “I don’t want to feel a thing” method.

I think it’s odd that we have now have a zero tolerance policy for every drug – including alcohol and tobacco in many cases – in the book, but we highly encourage the use of every other drug when we are feeling even the slightest bit of pain (not that childbirth pain is slight!). I’m so sick of nurses who holler at me for taking too much Tylenol for a headache during my pregnancy – or eating too much tuna – but who push the drugs like there’s no tomorrow once the labor pains arrive!

Anyway, enjoy the article and tell me what you think!

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VPR Commentary & Washington Post Article

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Posted on 17th June 2007 by Mish in news

Hi!

It’s Sunday night and I am settling in with the fam. Had a bit of company over this weekend and worked on getting the garden a bit more organized – at least in my head. Lots of weeding to be done – and it’s nice to have a 15-year-old around who can mow the grass (I’m working on having no lawn at all and covering it in perennials and other plantings, but until that day…). I have several articles coming out over the next week, but for right now, I just wanted to post this link to my commentary from VPR last week. I hope you enjoy it.

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/vpr/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1098850

I was also quoted in a nice, short article in the Washington Post this week called: Five Ways to Eat Organic CheaplyĀ 

VPR Commentary & Washington Post Article

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Posted on 17th June 2007 by mishakennedy in miscellaneous

Hi!

It’s Sunday night and I am settling in with the fam. Had a bit of company over this weekend and worked on getting the garden a bit more organized – at least in my head. Lots of weeding to be done – and it’s nice to have a 15-year-old around who can mow the grass (I’m working on having no lawn at all and covering it in perennials and other plantings, but until that day…). I have several articles coming out over the next week, but for right now, I just wanted to post this link to my commentary from VPR last week. I hope you enjoy it.

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/vpr/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1098850

I was also quoted in a nice, short article in the Washington Post this week called: Five Ways to Eat Organic CheaplyĀ 

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Why I’m considering buying my own dairy cow

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Posted on 13th June 2007 by mishakennedy in food

, , ,

I know – it sounds crazy. why would I buy my own cow? But after reading this article from Salon.com about organic milk (which costs almost $10 a gallon even here in dairy-friendly VT): http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2005/04/13/milk/index.html?pn=3

Did you know that large dairy farms – non-organic ones – feed their calves chicken manure? I have chickens and that’s just disgusting.

Not to mention rBGH and the whole Monsanto business – http://www.organicconsumers.org/monlink.cfm

So – I did a little basic math. I have enough pasture for a cow to eat along with my sheep and llama for five good months out of the year. So I’ll need seven months worth of hay at $3/bale. That’s $650. Plus I’ll need about $500-$750 worth of grain a year – $10-$15 bag per 50lb bag per week. So far I’m at $1400. If a heifer costs me $1000 and I have her for 10 years, that’s about $100 per year. I’m not including the cost of vet care – yet. So – about $1500 a year for a cow – and we get all the milk, butter and cheese we can eat (I’ll have to figure in the cost of rennet at some point).

I spend $1820 a year in milk alone. $1300 in butter and about that much in cheese. Wow. That’s almost $4500 a year in dairy products- and that doesn’t include yogurt, sour cream or whipped cream on occasion.

I think I’ve made my decision…we’ll have to see what the rest of the fam thinks…

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A Day in the Life of the Stay-at-Home Mom

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Posted on 12th June 2007 by mishakennedy in gardening

Quite often I get asked what a typical day is like for me. I think it’s more along the lines, sometimes, of “So, what do you do all day?” But I try not to be offended. I know that in these times, staying at home with the kids seems like a luxury. As does living the “simple” life. Let me just say that while I do not have a “real” job in the 2007 sense of the word – I do work quite a bit. Some of it brings in money. Some of it doesn’t. Most of it is an effort to keep our expenses down. So, while I may not bring a lot of cash – I try and keep it from flying out the door (by not paying for daycare, convenience foods, etc.)

OK, then. Describe a day already!

Yesterday – June 11, 2007 :

Got up for 6:30 am. (Actually I also got up at 3 am and 5 am to go to the bathroom, but that’s a hazard of one’s seventh month of pregnancy!).

Made coffee. Drank coffee. Gently informed the non-homeschoolers that they needed to start getting up.

Two-year-old (Jack) gets up. Make Jack his breakfast of oatmeal and a banana.

Holler to teens to get up as bus is imminent.

Liam (a homeschooler) gets up and makes his own breakfast.

I sign a few last minute permission slips and help print out a few papers and then the school bus whisks the teens away. I yell, “I love you,” as they head to the front door and get a sleepy grunt in reply.

Meanwhile, Dad – who is staying home to accomplish some “quiet” work from the office, this morning – has been avoiding the mayhem by working on his laptop on the deck.

Jack and I do a puzzle while Liam finishes his breakfast and then we go over Liam’s math work for the day. While he works on that, I run a load of cloth diapers. After he’s done with his math, I help him figure out how to answer the questions to a research sheet using Encarta on my laptop – a way to connect regular encyclopedia skills with new-fangled technology.

I hang the cloth diapers on the line and run a new load of laundry.

I shower and leave the kids in Dad’s capable hands as I drive to our local Vermont Public Radio station – about 45 minutes away.

I read my commentary on VPR – takes about 25 minutes to get all smooth and coherent. Had ego sufficiently stroked for the week – felt very intellectual reading for public radio.

I drive home – quickly stopping at a local farm stand that has salad greens for sale. In the throes of severe morning sickness back in Feb, March and April – I did not get my early greens in the ground. I watched a lot of Star Trek from Netflix and moaned about my existence instead!

Came home, kissed hubby quickly as he went to the office for the afternoon, and made myself lunch – and a second lunch for Jack, who likes to have a bit of whatever I am having. Lunch for me is a small salad and homemade wheat bread with cheese (not homemade, but local). I’d like to learn to make cheese – it’s on my list of things to try this summer – but I digress.

Put my feet up and ate my lunch with the boys. When the weather starts to get hot, my ankles respond and I have to elevate my feet occasionally.

Read to Jack and put him down for a nap while Liam worked in the workshop. Liam is at work on an abstract wood sculpture, using wood pieces he gathered from several local carpenters. He likes to hammer and screw the pieces together – and then will paint them. I told him I will find it a prominent place in the garden when he is done.

Planted six rows of lettuce and two rows of broccoli in new shady plot on the terrace above the big veggie garden. Thinned out some rutabagas and then looked for wild strawberries (not quite ripe yet) until thunder boomed overhead. Terrified of thunder, Liam and I ran inside.

Put turkey in to roast for dinner.

Worked on new book for an hour or so until Jack woke up.

Kids home from school. Daughter off on class trip to Maine.

Answered emails. Washed dishes. Took diapers down from line. Hung up other clothes as thunder stopped.

It rains briefly – but hard, of course. Bad for laundry – good for new seeds in ground.

Put potatoes into boil for dinner – steam broccoli and cauliflower for dinner.

Hubby home.

Eat dinner – everyone but Lydia is there.

Help clean up kitchen, as Lydia (who is the usual counter cleaner) is gone, and then sit on deck with glass of water and a book.

Walk out to garden with hubby and show him progress. Weed a little…not much.

It’s 8:30pm. Send appropriate kids to baths, showers or bed.

Other kids sit with us as we watch one hour of Star Trek: TNG.

Put Jack to bed, read, sleep (and get up to pee six or seven times).

Today will be similar – but ever different. I don’t get to go to VPR today, but Alex has a Little League game at 6pm, so we will go there. I will also probably make cookies or brownies as we are low on dessert and a turkey pot pie for tonight’s “needs to be quick” dinner.

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Michelle on VPR

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Posted on 11th June 2007 by mishakennedy in miscellaneous

Today, I got to do a really fun thing – I got to record another commentary on Vermont Public Radio. It is going to run on Thursday, June 14 at 6pm at the end of a half hour documentary on homelessness in Vermont.

I’m such a fan of public radio, so when I get to do these things it’s like my Oprah!

I hope I get to do more stuff in the future, but I’m just pleased they asked me! Hope you’ll listen and let me know what you think.

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