One way I know it is time for school to start very soon is that we had our first homeschool group meeting of the year on Thursday night.  There are, of course, no other visible signs of back-to-school time around the Incredible home, because I am striving mightily to be the very last HSBer in the world to actually do school rather than just blog about it LOL!  (actually I have figured out our start plan, but I am not blogging about it today, because it is still highly classified and sensitive information, which means I could tell you but then I'd have to... well, it wouldn't be pretty...)

Anyway, at the homeschool group meeting, I received our yearbook from last year!  What a fun idea for a group of homeschoolers to do... make a yearbook with pictures submitted from all the families and from our group activities!  Sometimes, because I actually had a pretty good time in school growing up, I miss little things that are vestiges of that for my kids.  The yearbook is one of those school trappings that I loved (could it be the humble beginnings of my Creative Memories addiction?), and so I think it is really cool that my kids get to have a yearbook.

Right away, I noticed that this yearbook, while simliar in format to public school yearbooks, was different in every other way.  My first clue was the Bible verse dedication and "thank you" page right up in the front of the book graciously thanking all the parents and students who helped out with our group and/or the yearbook.  The "school" pictures were very diverse, many were the beautiful outdoor natural portraits taken by our group photographer, but lots were submitted by individual families as well.  Kids were wearing their favorite outfits, which were generally neat and modest and very nice looking.... and the kids ranged in age from graduates to babies!  And what a talented and diverse group of kids... there were pictures of every activity you can think of, from scouts to voice to basketball, drama, butterfly catching, and even a section of kids just being kids!  And where else will you find a picture of your children snow sledding in the back yard in the section for "sports"?  There were lots of pictures of families just doing fun things together, too.  It actually was like a typical day of what you will find cruising around HSB, our "day-by-day book"!

So what started out for me as a cool way to give my kids something similiar to what I loved in school became a celebration of homeschooling in all its uniqueness and richness.  As I looked through the book I bought to give my kids something I had in school myself, it became evident to me that they will not have that... they will have so much more!

And the last thing I learned from looking through the yearbook...

     Whatever you are doing in your homeschool with your children...whatever curriculum, style, etc...and even if you don't feel like it is anything special... you homeschool families are truly (can you guess?) INCREDIBLE!  (had to say it.) :)