Why does my wife homeschool?

Because it's needed?

A friend of ours once said we should have as many kids as possible. Why? We've got good genes. We're strengthening the gene pool. Something about two arguably successful graduates of the Naval Academy.

So why do I ask this? This past weekend was our church's fall festival. This is a time for families throughout the parish and neighborhoods to gather, have some fun, and raise a little money for the church.

I was walking to trade in game tickets ("Win" and "Star" tickets) for prizes for the kids, when I heard a teen-age kid yell to his friend as they were headed in the opposite direction. Not a problem, but out of 6 words, at least two can't be said on TV.

It's been a long while since I would let something like this go. I yelled "Hey, hold on a minute" to get his attention. He looked at me and started walking away from me. He's walking his BMX bike, so I grabbed the seat to get his attention. I might not have been raised to respect every authority, but when I knew an adult or someone senior to me in the Navy is talking to me, I stopped to listen.

This kid didn't want to hear me out. I've got four kids, 8 and under. I'm not letting this go. I got him to face me by putting my hand on his shoulder (I know...yellow light is getting pretty bright - no witnesses except his friends at this point - it'll be my word against his), and I explain that he is "on church grounds at a festival with hundreds of families around" and that I would appreciate it if he toned his language down.

Any guesses on his response? Yep...he cursed in the process of saying he didn't care and it doesn't matter.

At some point in here, he threatens to go get his dad. I told him to go ahead. "I'd love to talk to your dad." He says his dad would be angry with me because he would have to interrupt his dad's "relations". "I don't care. Go get him."

They started away and I didn't think anything of it, going on the "buy" the toys for the kids.

A bit later I'm walking around and find the kid and his friends watching me. At one point they were actually taking a video of me with their cell phone. I'm not sure what for. Maybe to show a father holding his son at a church festival and not bothering anyone?

Regardless, the next thing I know the kid is in my face again and saying I had no right to stop him earlier. He said he was going to get my information and sue me for putting my hand on his shoulder. I told him it had been 30 minutes since I told him to get his dad the first time, and that I hadn't left yet. I welcomed him again to go get his dad, and I'd give his dad my information.

That was the last I saw him. I waited around for over 20 more minutes. Would his dad have tried to "beat me up"? Would his dad kicked his backside in for talking back to an adult? It's amazing how twisted reality can be for some people.

So...back to my original question. Why does my wife homeschool? For one thing, we are trying to raise our kids to be 100% unlike this kid. For another, I don't want to expose my kids to people like this or the parents that let them get that way.

Oh, and it doesn't hurt that our kids seem to be pretty smart :)

Sorry, had to vent that a little bit. Growing up I could never have imagined acting like that, nor could I imagine my kids acting that way.