The Phone is Driving Me NUTS!!!!

As a homeschooler, I am going crazy! I was thinking I was the only one who has a homeschooled child that thinks that every time the phone rings, it's free time. I mean she probably would be diagnosed with ADHD because every little thing distracts her. Sometimes she even makes up little things to distract her . . . but, the phone really distracts her . . . and me. It often takes 10 minutes to get teacher and student back on track. Just in time for the dog to bark, or the UPS man to drop off a package, or the neighbor to walk outside to check his mail. UGH!!!

Now, normally the phone doesn't ring that often. I have given family and friends the explicit instructions to not call before 3pm, unless it's a life or death situation. Seriously!!!! But, we have been getting political calls daily. Sometimes to the tune of multiple times, daily. The worse part is many times they are recorded - not even an actual person that you can say to please take our name off the master list. Then again, we've had four calls from the Obama campaign. The girl sounds like she's the age of our middle child. Why is she working for any political affiliation instead of playing dolls or learning to cook? Or wait ... maybe she should be in school, like my daughter ... anyway, she wants to know who we are voting for. Each time a member of our family has explained to her that we feel that voting is a private matter and we would rather not discuss it and BTW, please take our names off the call list.

Like I said, we've gotten the same call from the same little girl 4 TIMES!!! Isn't it ironic that politicians are above the national do not call registry? I mean you can actually sue telemarketers that make a living from the commission they earn from sales, but you can't sue a political or charity group (even when they call your home on Sunday or after 9pm!)

I think (until after elections) I will set my answering machine to one ring, turn down the volume and put a witty message on the machine like I read here.

Please don't think I'm unpatriotic. I enjoy my freedoms as much as humanly possible. I just wish that candidates would respect citizens' privacy. We are bombared with information 24/7. Let our homes be our havens.

Ok, I'll get off my soapbox now to resume this early Monday morning.

Does anyone else have any steam they'd like to blow off about this?!