Summer Schooling

School gets out early here in North Alabama, with most schools letting out at the end of May.

Here in homeschool-land, it had been my intention to continue schooling with the summer, with a lighter schedule to keep the kids fresh when it comes to basic mathematics and writing, perhaps letting the rest of it slide.

This will be my first summer as a homeschool mom, and as another homeschooling friend and neighbor forewarned, it has thus far been impossible to homeschool in our neighborhood.

Of course, I am grateful for the gaggle of children that roam the streets. They are, in fact, the only reason we chose to live in a suburban development when we moved to Alabama. We'd probably be hermits living on the mountain if we had our rathers, but eschewed our fantasy homestead for now in favor of skate-worthy sidewalks, neighborhood picnics, and neighborhood friends for our children. So far, we haven't regretted the choice. I'd be lying if I said the constant doorbell ringing did't grate on my nerves at times, but I am happy my children have neighborhood friends, especially now that we are homeschooling. While homeschool families are usually larger than average, we are blessed with just two, and living far from extended family, many of our friends and neighbors have become a surrogate extended family of sorts.

Still, educational setbacks can set in staggeringly fast, and now having had some experience teaching my children, I now understand why schools spend so much time in fall review. Lost time, and between friends and camps, I hope to sneak in a little education to keep us up to speed.

But for now - off to the neighborhood Memorial Day gathering!