In fourth grade I made a list of what I wanted to be when I grew up. I noted at the top of the page, "There is more than one thing here because I can't make up my mind."

• Scientist
• Writer
• Teacher
• Wife
• Mother
• Storekeeper
• Banker
• Secretary
• Reporter
• Librarian

      My teacher wisely wrote at the bottom of the page, "Perhaps you could do more than one of these things." Now that I think about it, I've been fortunate to have had the opportunity to do every one of these things!

      As a homeschool parent, I get to wear all kinds of hats. I am of course a wife and mother. I am the teacher of my children. I am a scientist when conducting experiments in the kitchen or taking the kids on a nature walk.

      I feel like a storekeeper whenever I'm stocking up food in the pantry for my growing boys. Keeping track of our family's finances makes me think like a banker.

      I am the librarian of our homeschool library. I've served as the secretary for our homeschool group, and as editor of a homeschool newsletter I get to be both writer and reporter.

      In this age of increasing specialization, it is good to be a home educator. I am not bound to a monotonous career. I have a chance to be a kind of "Renaissance woman," instructing my children in all of the arts and sciences.

      Hopefully my enthusiasm about a wide variety of subjects will inspire in my children a well-rounded love of learning so they will grow up to be versatile adults, able to explore many different paths and accomplish everything they always wanted to do.