Yoga, Italian, ABC's and SMILES!

The girls and I happily joined a new, very well-structured co-op today.  Classes such as poetry, painting, basic Italian, basic Spanish, yoga, ABC's & 123's (for the littlest students!), science, history through literature and vegetarian cooking for kids are on the list of offerings.  Impressive, fun, what a great day!

And, tomorrow, I get engaged! To Pop Warner Cheerleading.  I won't be officially married to the sport until flag football season begins towards the end of summer.  What a commitment, hours and hours need to be devoted - and that's just on the parents' part!  I am going to apply to be an assistant coach.  I want to be as involved as possible.  Not just for my children, but for all of them - I want to be a positive part of this for the girls.

Between gymnastics, cheerleading, youth group, Sunday School, two co-ops, bowling, library classes, our own homeschool lessons and our (typically) weekly field trips, I am in total hysterics.  Of laughter.  Because I'd love to sit down and show my day planner to any nay-sayer who says that homeschooled children don't...SOCIALIZE...enough.   You know, the typical mantra of those devoted to "the system".

Don't get me wrong - I have a teenage son in the public school system. But I was young when I had him, and still quite young when his father and I split up.  By the time I learned of homeschooling, my son had been in public school for years.  The recommendation is one month of off any type of schooling at home when you pull a child from public instruction.  At this point, we'd need the better part of a year for him to adjust.  So, off to school he goes.  But I enrich his studies as much as I possibly can, and include him in as many of our excursions as possible.

Also, my parents are proud public school teachers, active in the NJEA and NEA. And, frankly, I think they're awesome teachers! (though I am likely biased).  My dad seems to be accepting of my homeschooling stance, and is even helping me write a curriculum for the co-op on anatomy and physiology.  But, my mom...well, she's a hard sell. 

But when it comes down to it,  I know my children will thrive.  Because I am just as excited and eager as they are to wander this  homeschool path.  I know that, wherever it takes us, we'll be together.  And we'll be just fine.