Warrior Dog

We are members of a cult.

At least, that is what some people immediately think when you tell them you homeschool. Many times the stereotypical traits spring to their mind; radical right wing, bible thumping, denim jumper, long straight hair with poofy bangs, raising isolated and unsocialized children. Many people also think that all homeschoolers have declared open season on anything having to do with public education. By the way, we don't fit any part of these stereotypes. I don't even have bangs!

However, the notion that we have some sort of anti-public school agenda is now being reinforced by our dog, Lilly. She is really a docile dog. She's never met a stranger and loves, loves, loves everything and everyone. Because of that reason, it took me a while to figure out why Lilly sat at the end of the driveway frantically barking her head off for 30 minutes every morning from 8am-8:30am, Monday through Friday. I finally figured it out... she has declared war on the local public school bus.

We live in the country and at the end of a cul-de-sac. Every morning the big yellow bus pulls into our court and stops to pick up the sole teenager on the block. Lilly perceives the threat and starts to warn the big nasty yellow thing not to come any closer. Then the bus backs up and retreats from the subdivision defeated once again. Lilly perceives victory and celebrates her big, bad, warrior dog self for another 20 minutes. Then she has to continue to bark just in case that big ol' yellow intruder tries to sneak back.

Of course, the bus never learns and Monday through Friday Lilly has to protect our home from invasion. She is also instrumental in protecting our home from invading hot air balloons but that is another post.

Sometimes I truly wonder what our neighbors think. It can't be good.