Are you a homeschooling mom who also brings in some income?

Hi, all!

I am beginning research on what will become an Amazon self-published e-book (and probably a paperback as well) exploring home educating moms who also work at least part time.  I envision this being about a two year project and I will use professional editing services prior to publication.  The book will be encouraging to home educating moms and honoring to those who balance both income generating activity and home education, while still honestly exploring the struggles and trade-offs we all face in finding balance.

I will develop an extensive questionnaire for moms to fill out and from that, follow up by phone and in person where possible.

Answering the questionnaire does not guarantee a spot in the book.  I will balance the portraits across many variables--number of kids, length of homeschooling, type of work, etc.  However, for those who aren't included in the book, I may feature you on my blog and include a plug for your income generating endeavor and you would certainly be mentioned in the acknowledgement section of the book.

Would you be interested in filling out the questionnaire to help me with my background research and possibly be included in the book?  My goal is to have the questionnaire to the moms in May.  I am particularly interested in featuring moms who make their income from entrepreneurial or flex jobs.  

If interested, please email me at ohiohol at hotmail dot com and use "book" as your subject.  In the body of your note, please briefly describe your income generating work as well as how long you've been homeschooling and how many children you home educate.

Feel free to link this blog post on your blog or other social media--I appreciate help in getting the word out!

Blessings,

Holly

National Haiku Day

Those in the family old enough to understand syllables composed an original haiku today for National Haiku Day.

The 10 year old's haiku "Spider":
Spins a web so fine
Catching flies for dinnertime
Eight eyes look at me.


The 14 year old's haiku:
A haiku I write
I am getting distracted
A boring poem


The 16 year old's haiku:
Procrastination
Leads to Desperation
Then Motivation


My haiku:
Home education
Unconventional and weird
Would never trade it.

Eleanor's Song

It's difficult to understand mental illness and chemical imbalance.  Russell Crowe's  profoundly powerful movie, A Beautiful Mind allowed me a glimpse into what it might be like.  If you're part of a large family--and both my husband and I come from such--it's likely that at least some members contend with diagnosed or undiagnosed disorders or imbalances.

One sister-in-law's struggles have a name:  bi-polar disorder.  Having a name helps, I think, in that it reframes what was an increasingly concerning collection of behavior.  In no way does this make her own walk easier, but a diagnosis helps those of us who care about her.

Recently, this sister-in-law began to write.  She's always been creative and artistic; her writing continues that.  She speaks openly of her challenges and started a blog to help others understand what it is like to live with bipolar disorder.  I encourage you to check out Eleanor's Song and leave a comment.

Putting a name on something defines.  However, a label is never a totality.  My sister-in-law can't help that she is bi-polar, but her writing about it earns her other labels.  Honest.  Open.  Brave.

Blessings,
Holly