I just wanted to say to each and every fellow Christian Homeschooler, I am proud to be among you!!  My family would have missed out on so many experiences this weekend had we been strapped to a school schedule and system.  Because we Homeschool, we could freely rearrange our usual academic schedule as needed last week to allow my 15 year old son the experience of running his first fundraiser.  He planned and executed a Wiffleball tournament for his youth group at church basically single handedly and by the grace of God, it was a hit.  He raised a good amount of money for the church and managed to make a few connections with some great wiffleball teams for future fundraisers.  He brought a few of the homeschooled kids from our church together as team members also.  The champions of the tournament told him that they enjoyed playing in that competition and liked the people they were around so much that they plan to send out mass emails next year for the other 20-25 teams that they regularly play with to show and compete.  We had 6 teams this year, so you can imagine how great it would be to grow that much next year.  This was an incredible learning experience for him (and us), that no school could have competed with and it took a lot of his time which no school could have allowed him.  Thank God his ego didn't expand so much that we couldn't get him back into the house, LOL!!  He did gain confidence though and that is priceless.

     I find myself reflecting a lot lately on my experiences with Homeschooling and with Homeschooling families.  Whenever I meet other Homeschool moms, I am constantly thinking to myself, "she's a creative little bugger!", "How did they come up with that idea", "wow! That’s awesome, why didn't I think of that"!  I am blown away at the amount of resourcefulness that comes out of Homeschoolers.  As a 'people', we find uses for the most obsolete and common things alike.  The creativity that pours from the people I have met in person or on the internet is so inspiring.  I am so glad Homeschoolers share the way they do.  I am noticing as of late also, Homeschoolers are walking out into the light of society more than before.  What I mean by that is, I see more Homeschoolers standing up to be counted in a public fashion than in earlier days.  It could be the shear volume of Homeschoolers who now exist, the pioneers who came before us and paved the way to make it easier for us now or that we just know what we have and want to share it in the most positive way possible.  Most likely it is all of the above.  I see a difference in Homeschoolers, at least in my location, which has come about since I first started to Homeschool about 10 years ago.  Homeschoolers now in general are far less intimidated by non Homeschooled folk and their questions or comments.  Also, because of those who worked so hard to maintain this freedom in the past and present alike brought good attention to this way of life in the first place, we have fewer naysayer’s to begin with.  I am floored by the fact that everywhere I go now I meet Homeschoolers.  Even just ten short years ago (I lived in the Boston area then) it seemed like you were marching in your own little band if you Homeschooled.  I mean, you had a few fellow marchers but not many, in that area anyway. 

     I think a great service to Homeschoolers would be to create a Homeschool History book for all of us.  We should study it as we would any other History that we find important.  We should interview all the surviving Homeschool Pioneers and families of the ones who have gone to be with our Father in Heaven and write their journeys in one book.  Showcase our conception and history.  We could leave a place to add personal pioneers in the movement we know in our own lives.  There is so much Homeschoolers have to and do contribute to such projects.  I wonder if there is already a book like this.  Can someone tell me if there is, I would love to see it!  If not, maybe we could get one going!!!  Maybe some of you could tell me what it is you feel blessed about the most by having the ability to Homeschool.  I would love your thoughts and comments, please feel free to share!!

Together in HIM, Peggie