Where shall I begin?  What kind of day shall I choose to convey the kind of Windows Ambassador I am?  Shall I show my day as an advocate for Learning Abled Kids?  A Homeschooling Mom?   Or my secret dream life as a writer?

            Depending upon which hat I’m wearing and what I’m actively working on, my day can look dramatically different from one day to the next.  However, EVERY day involves significant computer time, with numerous Windows opened simultaneously.

            I get up between 5:45 and 7:00 in the morning and always head straight for my computer.  The first order of business every day is to check on my Learning Abled Kids’ support group and emails.  I often dig right in, responding to emails, providing support, and researching answers to questions.  The most frequent email or call I get is an urgent call saying, “HELP! I’ve just pulled my child out of school.  What do I do now?”  To which I respond, “Tell me about your child,” and then help the parent figure out their next step in helping their child overcome his/her learning disabilities through one-on-one instruction.

             When my children get up, we have “Good Morning!” greetings and breakfast.  If it's a school day,  I usually return to my computer after breakfast to see what schoolwork is on tap for the day.  Then our school day begins in earnest.

            As our day progresses, I am on and off our home computer network to check my childrens' progress on schoolwork, to grade assignments, record study times, and to record grades, or off to help them with an assignment, project, or experiment.

             Whenever my computer is on (which is anytime I’m home), I’ll take snippets of time to check email, check on my support group, work on scheduling schoolwork, key in a few passages or pages of writing, and check on the few social sites I belong to.  Given time, I may also work on one of the websites I maintain—the L.A.Kids’site, my directory of Children’s Publishers, or work on our county Swim League’s website (which I maintain as a volunteer).  I also spend available time researching field trips, activities, and educational opportunities for our homeschooling.  I want my kids will have a well-rounded, broad educational experience.

I almost always have multiple Windows open as I bounce from one role to another.  My days are always interrupt driven as I frequently get interrupted by phone calls or have to stop working on my projects to assist one of my children with an assignment.  Thus, I often have to open multiple windows to answer an immediate question or do a bit of research before returning to whatever I was working on prior to the interruption.

            Most afternoons during the school year, we pack up a few books and head for the car.  We travel to one of our many activities, car-schooling along the way.  You may find us heading for kayaking, swimming, archery, bowling, music lessons, church youth group activities, drama, or one of our scheduled classes taught by someone else. 

While my children are participating in their activities or classes, I get a bit of relaxation time.  Whether I’m helping out or enjoying the company of other homeschool moms, I do—indeed—relish the time I have away from my computer.  I think every brain needs a bit of daily retro-time away from technology!  On days when we don’t happen to have an activity, after my children have finished their schoolwork, I may head out the door for a quite walk through the neighborhood with the birds flittering about so I can clear my brain and get a bit of exercise.

  After our activities, or my walk, we always enjoy a family dinner where we talk about upcoming adventures, dreams, plans, and other family matters.  After dinner, and coordinated clean-up time, we head to our family room for family time.  If we aren’t playing a game like National Geographic’s Dread Pirate Game or Trivial Pursuit, I usually have my computer in my lap, where I am providing more support, looking for curricula solutions, grading schoolwork, or visiting with online friends.

           By the time 10:00 p.m. rolls around, we are all happily tired and everyone heads to bed for a bit of slumber.  There, all of our brains are renewed for another fabulous day in the home of this Windows Brand Ambassador!