I think this must be the very first year in our homeschooling history that we didn't actually "plan" to do certain things over the summer.  "Certain things" meaning; academics.  Mainly these days my concern for the summer is that we will be inundated with neighborhood children who have parents working all day and are left alone to either:

 a. run wild in the streets all day,

b. ring my doorbell repeatedly wanting to know if the kids can play, or

 c. drive us all crazy with their misbehavior. 

As much as I love Summertime, this is the part I don't care for.

I don't necessarily have a problem with interaction with other kids.  We have met some really nice ones. But for the most part we don't particularly care for the false allegiances that come with the whole friendship scenario.  I firmly believe that it is up to Mom and Dad to help pick the right friends who will not influence the children negatively.  Hopefully, our children won't be the ones doing the negative influencing.  It has, however been known to happen.

During the institutional school calendar, we homeschoolers have to be prepared to give an answer to whoever might stick their noses in our business wherever we are, doing whatever it is we might be doing.  Mr. John Q. Public sees us out at the grocery store at 10:00 a.m. and asks us why we aren't in school.  There are times when I am feeling very confident or even over-confident and will very boldly go where no Mom has gone before and tell them all about homeschooling.  Lately though, I really don't care who asks what and whether they deserve the time of day!  Call me awful: I covet my time, my privacy and my family.  Cut the small talk, if that is all it is.  It's not any of your business what we are doing anywhere, at any time of day or night, unless it involves blood, fire or taxes!  I really don't care to share anymore, I am just too tired!  But if you want to take me out for a nice lunch and ask me all kinds of questions about homeschooling, fine.  I will just lock my kids in the house with boxing gloves on, and let's go!

Although homeschooling, unschooling or whatever-you-call-it does bring so much joy, you and I both know it can cause pain.  But why should we be surprised?  Life is both joy and sorrow, laughter and tears, work and rest.  For some of you reading this, homeschooling is a new and novel idea full of anticipation and trepidation.  I sincerely hope and pray for you, that you have firm convictions, and that you stick with them! 

For those of us who have been at this child-rearing thing for awhile, it is full of successes and failures, clarity and confusion, and the funny thing is that just when we think we figure some of it out.....viola', everything changes and we have to start at square one again.  But then again, why should we be surprised?  Just as the world bursts forth in bud again in springtime after a long and grey winter with it's deathly silence, are we really surprised?  Life does advance, and yet it has the same old familiarity with it all over again.

Home education is a whole lot of letting go.  First, we have to let go of those Kindergarten ideals.  Then we have to let go of all the memories we have of what school was like for us, and what it is "supposed" to be like for our kids.  That is a very hard thing to let go of.  Winter can be so long that we can't ever imagine the idea of spring.  But then we see it happening, and as the old things pass away, new things grow in their places.  We have to let go of our ideas of what learning is supposed to look like, of the preconceived notions of standardized testing. 

Then as the "high school years arrive" there is letting go of the garbage like "cheerleading" and prom, and dances.......of popularity contests and the whole herd mentality.  We get out of those things only to find ourselves right back in them with our children.  Are we just a bunch of lemmings?  I actually know homeschool Moms who are concerned about those things.  Who will their child date?  What about missing the almighty prom?  Give me a break!  Somebody do something different for a change. Think about why you are doing what you are doing. Do something with a purpose, maybe even an eternal purpose.  And then, enjoy it, for goodness sake! 

Well, this has not been one of my usual type of columns, but I think I am at the place in our lives and homeschooling journey that I just don't care too much what other's care about what I am doing.  Got that? I know, so why do I care about all this stuff that other's are doing?  Just making a point. We aren't perfect, but we keep on.  We will do what works for us, and if not, then regroup.  That is really what we have been doing all along, with a few bumps in the road on the way. 

 We have sought the Lord, we are pretty certain we know what He would have us to do.  We do it, or at least we try to.  When we fall, He picks us up.  When we fail, we try again.  It's our walk, and although there are stumbling blocks in the way, we deal with those.

 Sigh.  Life has its ups and downs for sure, but we will just keep moving!  I hope you will too......and even if gas is heading towards $4.00 a gallon, you can still keep on trucking if your gas tank is full of the kind of fuel that is free.  Open God's word today and get your tank filled!

Blessings,

Nancy

p.s. If you want a little down-home refreshment, pop on over to my other blog for some fun photos of our newest additions to the menagerie. Click here.