"Not-Back-To-School"

Well, we went to our first "Not-Back-To-School" picnic this afternoon. It was really nice to see so many homeschoolers in one place. There was also quite an age range of kids from pre-k through high school. I am really glad that we live in an area where there are so many homeschoolers. The group we were with today is an all-inclusive group for the area. There are several other groups here as well that we are not part of, mostly religious, so I know there are more homeschoolers out there.

My girls met some new friends, of many different ages. I think that is one of the great things about homeschooling groups. The kids are not stuck socializing with kids who are exactly the same age as they are. They get to meet and interact with kids of different ages. A couple of kids who were probably 10-12 found a monarch, and Madeline hung out with them for a bit talking about monarchs. Hailey played with a group of kids that ranged in age from 3-11. Later, some of the older boys who we had not met before were worried about her at one point because she was standing near an embankment. They hung out with her for a bit to be sure that she was okay and did not fall (I wasn't worried, but they were). It was nice to see them all interacting together.

I got to meet some other homeschooling parents as well, some who are just starting out and some who have been homeschooling for quite a long time.

What a nice afternoon!