When our children aren’t feeling well we allow them to sleep on the couch. It’s a treat for them and it allows the rest of the children who remain in the bedroom to sleep undisturbed. So back when Carter (7) was coughing with the Swine Flu I set him up on the couch. Colby (3) did not get out of his bed and sleep on the floor beside the couch in order to be close to his brother. 
I did not fish a blue sequin off of the roof of Nick’s (1) mouth.
Nicholas (1) does not snap his fingers, stomp his feet and bob his head as if enjoying a classic Rock ‘n’ Roll number when he is listening to 6th century Gregorian chants.
When asked what year written music first appeared one of the children did not with confidence say, “3000 A.D.”. He did not then claim that he was ONLY 2,000 years off.
We did not allow the children to have gigantic lollipops ’cause, ya know what kind of mess that would make.
Two of the children did not eat the whole thing in only two sittings, not our health conscious, self-disciplined children.
With 12 people around our table for most meals we must have some semblance of order, some standard of behavior or it would be absolute chaos. So our children do not squirm around in their chairs or remove their bottoms from their seats.
You can read more Not Me Mondays here on Raising Olives or about Why or How we homeschool. You may also be interested in making your own hamburger buns, yogurt and buttermilk or laundry soap, how we organize our day, do laundry or chores.
You may also enjoy:
That last picture is HILARIOUS!!! I seriously crack up when I see it!!
I hope your little ones are feeling better asap… being sick is so tough on everyone.
Hope you can avoid it!
Many blessings-
Amanda
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The dinner table picture is my favorite!!! Oh my gosh that is just hilarious!!!
Have a happy Monday!! You really started mine that way!
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Ok, you win a “great mom” award for buying the lollipops. Your kids will remember that for a long time.
“Someone” did NOT send us to the beach with a box of 100 Tootsie Roll Pops. I discovered they do keep Andrew busy for 20-30 minutes (while confined to his highchair). Wonder how bad it would be to give him one a day in order to get some more school done?!?
Glad you are home safely!
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Those lollipops scare me…my kids would eat them in one sitting and then be climbing the walls!
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I did NOT just read this in complete awe that you have NINE children and homeschool ALL of them!
My jaw is still NOT dropped!
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That top picture is absolutely adorable!
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i love that picture at the kitchen table and the lollipops too.
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LOVE the pics! The lollipops and the feet at the dinner table are great!
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Your son is not too cute for sleeping on the floor next to his sick brother.
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I just came across your blog, and enjoyed reading some I will be back. Have a blessed day
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The feet in the air shot is hysterical! My son did NOT do that during church on Sunday, right there in the pew during the sermon! Sigh.
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Love that lollipop picture!! So great!
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Awww that is sooo sweet that Colby slept by the couch to be with his sick brother! Awwww!!!
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BTW I swear I don’t keep changing my nickname to make you hand-approve my posts just to annoy you. I really don’t. My computer is dying and my husband keeps having to take it apart and put it back together again to give it a new lease on life- and when he does that he goes all out and wipes all my cookies and stuff off it too. Then I can’t remember what my screenname on here was last time and type what I think it was only to be wrong and then I’m making you moderate my post again because I’m all new again. I’m sorry!!!
If my computer would just behave itself… *sigh*
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My yongest, age 3, loves your pictures of Colby. He thinks it’s himself. “Look, me sleeping, mom.”
So now he is looking for his lolly. I’d love to homescool my children, too but i’m afraid of them saying no to all my plans/ideas. How do you start? Love your photos!
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Raising Olives Reply:
October 1st, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Charlotte – How to start homeschooling is a whole post in itself. I hope to get to that. We knew that we wanted to homeschool before we even had children and so our children have never known anything different.
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