still homeschooling?

I find this conversation both revealing and perplexing and annoying:

Relative: Ohhhh, you're still homeschooling?
Child: Yes
(Me, silently): still?
Relative: Do you just home-school or do you ever get to be with other kids?
Child: Oh we do lots of other stuff with other kids -- book club, co-op classes, basketball . . .
(Me, silently): just?  and is education supposed to be about being with other kids?
Relative: Oh good.  Is that just once-in-awhile, or every week?
Child: It varies.
(Me, silently): Why don't you ask them what they are learning?
Relative -- to me:  How long will you do this? Will you let them go to high-school?
Me: As long as we think it is appropriate.
(Me, silently): let them?  Here they are, getting a great education, and you speak as if I am depriving them of something.

It's revealing in that it shows the relative's assumption that school is about socializing. It's perplexing in that I've always thought that school was about education.  It's annoying in that it introduces to my child this rather skewed view of school and home-schooling.

Whole Wheat Egg Sandwich Bread

Whole Wheat Egg Sandwich Bread


Mix in your KitchenAid Standmixer

• 1 1/2 C water
• 1 room temperature egg
• 3 Tb butter, cut up
• 2 1/3 C  white flour
• 2 C whole wheat flour
• 3 T gluten flour
• 3 T brown sugar
• 1 t salt
• 1 1/4 t breadmaker yeast

Turn oven on to lowest setting. Put ingredients into your stand mixer and run mixer on low for 4 minutes.

Turn oven off.  Set a dish cloth over the dough and set into oven. Let dough rise until double (about 1 hour).

Turn oven on to lowest setting. Knead dough for 4 minutes.  Turn oven off. Pop the bread back into the oven to rise until double (about 1 hour).

Turn oven on to lowest setting. Divide dough into two loaves.  Shape. Set into pans. Cover. Pop the bread back into the oven to rise until double (about 1 hour).  Take out of the oven.

Bake at 350 for 24 minutes.