Who Can You Trust?

I know that everything these days "causes cancer" from the food we eat to our makeup and sometimes even our clothes (fire-retardant anyone?). I mean, how does anyone these days keep from joining the ranks of the obsessive-compulsive? Tonight I came across this article talking about the lack of regulation of sunscreens. I know to avoid phthalates, sulfites, and parabens. I know it is generally a good idea to avoid food or other products that have a list of ingredients that you can't pronounce. It happens to be a lot of work to find fairly safe products and foods these days. Is it too much to ask that the companies receiving our almighty buck might try to keep us alive longer so that we can keep shelling out to them? ...because after all, it is all about the money right? (We have to give these guys some motivation they can understand- BIG eye roll inserted here).

Nerdy conversations at our house

It is with pleasure that my gals and I accept the names geek or nerd - definitely compliments here, although I don't think anyone outside our family has ever described us this way (I didn't include my husband as I am not so sure he appreciates those labels like we do).
Here is a conversation from my house today:

Oldest dd: Mom, I opened the cupboard and some test tubes fell out and shattered on the floor.
Me: Oh, no. (groan)
dd: I'm sorry mom. All I did was open it and it happened.
Me: Oh, I know honey, I just hate cleaning up glass from the floor because I always worry if I have left some behind.
pause...
dd: You know you are a nerdy family when you open cupboard doors and test tubes fall out.

I am not even sure that we have ever *used* those test tubes, but at least we have some to break. (sigh)

Vegan analogy for reactions to homeschooling

I am reading a book called The Vegan Sourcebook (Joanne Stepaniak, M.S.ED.). There was a particular part talking about how others may feel or act towards you for your choice of diet, and I thought it exactly described how some others behave when they learn that you are homeschooling or plan to homeschool. So, read below and substitute the vegan reference for homeschooling, and I think we have hit the nail on the head.

Questioning our worldview is a difficult, sometimes impossible task. There are so many elements in our lives that we just assume to be corect that it usually doesn't even occur to us to question them. Even when pressured by outside forces, we tend to cling to our own worldview rather than consider other perspectives. That is why choosing to be vegan can seem so enigmatic to friends, family, and coworkers. Challenging the validity of accepted societal norms makes people uneasy. It brings up issues most people never think about, let alone want to talk about.