The first-ever Smrt Lernins “you look like a homeschooler” contest ends at midnight on February 28th, so be sure to comment with your pictures, links to your posts about the contest, or your twitter information. I’m compiling excellently ridiculous prizes, so don’t miss out!

Need to see a homeschooler? Here’s Captain Science rocking a mean pompadour.

And since all is fair in love, war, homeschooling, and the Internet, here’s a nice teaser of me looking like a homeschooler. My hair was bothering my while I was working on a Smrt Lernins entry, but couldn’t find a hair tie, so I clipped it back with an IKEA bag clip…then forgot about it until several hours later, when Captain Science asked, “Mama, what’s that in your hair.”

Oops. Guess I looked a little like a homeschooler that day!

Close your eyes and picture your interpretation of the quintessential homeschooler. What do s/he and her/his children look like? Is she wearing a denim jumper with an appliqued cardigan? Are they wearing mismatched clothing and badly in need of haircuts? Are perfectly coordinated poloshirts or yoked dresses involved somewhere? Does someone have a Aquanet-stiff beehive and a modest-necked sweater or a pair of worn out Birkenstocks and the lingering smell of patchouli?

Now ask yourself: “Do I look like that homeschooler?”

Our contest is simple, yet ludicrous, and the prize is absurd, yet priceless (simply by virtue of being awarded by Smrt Lernins). Here’s how to enter:

1. Find the best picture of you and/or your children looking like what YOU think of when you think of “homeschooler.” You decide what “homeschooler” looks like.
2. Comment to this blog with a link to that picture.

The winner will be chosen by an expert panel of judges (ie. my family) and announced here. One photograph entry per commenter, though if you can rope your spouse, partner, significant other, children, mom, or neighbor into entering a picture of your family, you can always get an additional shot at the grand prize.

Want more chances to win? A second winner will be chosen at random to win a second, even more absurd prize. Entering could only be simpler if you sent us the message psychically. Gain one entry in our random draw for:

1. Each link to this post AND/OR
2. Tweeting “@smrtlernins and I look like homeschoolers, and so can you! http://bit.ly/digDMv”
3. Commenting here with a link to the blog where you posted about our contest or your Twitter name.

While you’re limited to one Twitter-related entry, you can post this link to as many blogs or websites as you can without being called a wanton spammer, gaining one entry in our random draw per link! Don’t forget to leave a comment with the link, though, because despite that comment about entering psychically, no one at Smrt Lernins has developed psychic powers yet…that I know of.

Show me what a homeschooler looks like to you, tell other people about it, and win ridiculous prizes. So simple, even a public schooler could do it*.

Contest is open until February 28th. That’s almost a whole month, you guys! Plenty of time to make entries all over the blogosphere.

*And I’d know, as I went to public school.