Much ado about…nothing?

Since having kids, I've developed a bit of a bad habit that I think has only been exacerbated by the homeschooling aspect of my life. Here it is:

If what I want is not available, I make it available.

Amora, what are you talking about? Let me explain.

I've spent many Saturdays at the football field with my football loving boys. My girls...not fans. They were, however, interested in cheerleading. Okay, great. Let's register the girls for cheer. Oh, one problem. The football program does not have a cheer program, because they don't have anyone to run one.

Did I ever participate in cheerleading? No.

Did I know anything—anything at all—about cheer? Nope.

Do I enjoy getting up in front of people and being loud? Uh, absolutely not. I'm not one of those parents who screams their kid's name and cheers them on from the stands (no shade to those who are. I admire you). I will occasionally clap my hands when things get intense. But there we were, my girls wanting to cheer and there being no program in our town. 

So, I did it. I started a cheer program, had over fifty girls register our first year, found a few more coaches so I could split the girls into squads, and we did the damn thing.

Thank you, YouTube.

I've recently found myself in a different pickle. I didn't like the homeschool co-op options I had available to me so I started my own a few years ago. It's been great. The second year of co-op, one of the mom's volunteered to do the training to lead this intense Shakespeare program for the older kids in co-op. It's significant enough of a program that she needs a co-teacher. One of the other moms has been gracious enough to fill that role the last two years, but this year she decided she needs a break.

Do you see where this is going?

Yes. I'm the new co-teacher. Big deal, right?

Honestly, it's not a huge deal, but the main teacher is a very busy woman with a lot going on. Including a heavier work schedule than years past. Co-op starts on Tuesday and she's not even going to be in town. I'm giving the first two hour lecture and I don't know diddly squat about Shakespeare or what the format of this class looks like in real time. 

Right now, I'm working on memorizing a monologue on several of the phrases and words that we actually got from Shakespeare. Did you know any of these came from Shakespeare?

Hoodwinked

In a pickle

Too much of a good thing

Seen better days

Living in a fools' paradise

Didn't sleep a wink

Stand on ceremony

Budge an inch

And how many times have you read that a character knitted their brows? That's also from Shakespeare.

It wasn't until this class performed his play A Midsummer Night's Dream, that I realized the phrase "though she be but little, she is fierce" actually comes Shakespeare as well.

Anyway, if I start spewing Shakespeare, now you know why.