Angels Of Heart - Heart of the Matter --- Socializing

• May. 9, 2008
Heart of the Matter --- Socializing

Welcome to the Heart of the Matter Friday Meme. Before I go into
the big socialization question I wanted to let readers of my blog know
what a great resource and blog the Heart of a Matter is. (just click the
graphic to get you to the website. If that link doesn't work use the one
near the bottom of my blogspot.) This is one of the
spots on the net that I don't want to miss out on and read daily. They also create
a free online magazine that you can check out at a different website.
www.heartofthemattermagazine.com
I am still working on reading this months!! OK anyway back to the quesition...

Share ways that you and your Family Socialize....

For some reason I really dislike that word. Maybe it's because so many
family and friends that do not understand homeschooling throw that word
around like a tossed salad. What about Socialization??? The big scary "S" word.
Whenever I am asked that my first thought is to go into the long version.
The raise your head high moment.... The moment that you brush yourself off
from the dust of the word and step firmly on your podium to give the
public school is failing speech .... Which everyone knows anyway but has no
answer. I do ,HOMESCHOOL! Sometimes I wonder if they really care
what the answer is or if they are just trying to debate something they
don't understand. Maybe they just are trying to think of something to talk about.
Either you get a glazed over look or you get But .. But...
Well the heart of the matter didn't ask for my long speech so let me
give some examples of how we Socialize.... Since you asked.

When my children wake up in the morning they
bump into one another at the breakfast table and sort of grumble
some incohearant phases to each other. Eventually the converstations
flow about what we are going to do for the day. We sit down to do our morning
lessons and sometimes Spirit (age 2) pulls on his sisters leg to see out the
window and watch the cars... Right then and there they socialize
and talk about all the cars going by and what kind of car it is.
He has a fascination for all the 18 wheelers that stop in front of our house.
By this time it's lunch and most of our lessons are finished if not all
of them. It is time for us to head to our local post office. We don't
recieve mail in our town so we have to go out and collect it. Princess
usually has a lengthy conversation with the postmaster. The two of
them are on a first name basis. For some reason she likes to talk to him
about her homeschooling day. We head out of the post office and
as we are walking back to our house we usually run into Mary an
elderly woman that lives down the road from us. She greets us with
a smile and chatters with the children about their day, or what toy
they might be holding. Princess does enough chattering for us all.
We get to our yard if we're lucky without jabbering to anymore neighbors
and lo and behold their Aunt is in the yard. (They live next to us)
Now you might say to yourself everyday they are in the yard. Well,
as long as it's not raining or snowing that family is in their yard. :)
Of course we stop and converse with Lori about her fish pond and how
the fish are doing. Maybe even about those butterflies that are
swarming her butterfly bush. We head inside and have some
more dialogue. Maybe on Ancient Egypt or the digestive system.
By the time our afternoon fun is finished it's about time for their
older siblings and Daddy to come home. We have a long conversation about
their day, eat supper and head outdoors for some play time.
Usually some of the neighbor kids make their way into our yard
to gab and play. How could they not when there are already 4-5 children
roaming around our yard in a a little town like ours. (4-5 depending on
which of my children want to be outside.) I think that about covers
our socializing status. Oh wait, I think I forgot to mention going to
the bank , the grocery store , walmart,
church services, Sunday school, Youth group and Homeschool
co-op. I think we interact with families there too. :)

Nikki