Learning in the Sunshine State

Show me a homeschooler who doesn’t go full speed this time of year and I’ll show you, well, a veteran homeschooler. We’re beginning our 4th year, if you look at a traditional school year. While I have more experience than some homeschoolers, I’m not sure I’d call myself a veteran just yet. And I’m definitely still influenced by the flurry of activities available in the fall.

First, there are the group activities. That one looks like fun. And here’s a chance for him to work with other kids. Oh, we can fit that in our week too. This one only adds an hour a week. We can handle that.

Then, there are the field trips. I’ve always wanted to go there, and here’s a chance to go at the group rate. Ooh, that one is fun and educational. And here’s one that fits with what we’re studying this year. Yes, of course, sign us up for all of them. I’ll pay you at Park Day.

Whew! I think I have it all settled though. I tried to be choosy about the things we get involved in, and tried to keep my driving time to a minimum. You see, we don’t fit in with the homeschool group nearest us. I found a great group a few years ago, but most of them live 30-40 miles away. So naturally, the activities they plan take place near where they live. I’ve recently befriended a few other moms (and my son gets along with their kids) closer to home, and closer to our views about life and other stuff. We’re starting to do things together, including a learn as we go, make it up as we go, co-op. But I’m not willing to give up hanging out with the coolest homeschool group ever. Besides, they do have some great activities. So I’ll keep driving.

Now, let’s see, here’s what I fell for so far:
Monthly
rock climbing
park day
These are both the same week, so I just plan on Monday and Thursday of that week being non-academic days.

Bi-monthly
P.E. We tried to join this last year, but only went one time. I was already committed to driving for a few other activities last year, and didn’t want to add something else. I gave up those other commitments this year, and am looking forward to P.E. It sounds like they had great fun last year.

Weekly
4H, finally. I really like what 4H has to offer, but again, joining a homeschool 4H group involved 30-40 minutes driving time. This year, a veteran 4H mom, veteran homeschool mom, has started a club in my city. We started last week, and it seems like it will be a good fit for Dennis.

Co-op — The fledgling one I mentioned above. Right now there are 4 families, including ours. We will finish up a Lewis and Clark unit next week. Our plan was to do that unit, then decide if this is something we want to keep going. It looks like we will keep it going, and do several short units throughout the year.

Oh, did I mention karate (weekly) and Cub Scouts (3x a month)? Dennis has been with both for 2 years, so we’re not adding them to our schedule. But they do have to be considered when I look at the big picture.

Will we stick with everything? Time will tell. Talk to me in January. Rock climbing and park day are the two activities we can blow off if we’re feeling lazy. The others are more of a commitment, so I’ll do my best to make sure we keep up with those. Unless and until we start to get overwhelmed, I’m going to just consider these activities a normal part of our homeschool journey.

If you haven’t heard, The Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, was killed in a freak accident. People have been saying for years, that he would get himself killed one day, but the way it happened was a shock.
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Mr. Irwin, my son spent several years of his life in awe of you. When he was 4, he saw a centipede, and called for us (Mom and Dad) to come and look. “It’s a centipede!” he exclaimed. “Tiger of the insect world! I saw it on the Crocodile Hunter”.

When he was 5, he got a little safari set that came with various wild animals, a small plastic play mat, and a jeep. He used to pretend the jeep was yours and Terri’s, and he would play Croc Hunter with it, for hours at a time.

When the movie came out, we just had to buy it. He watched it endlessly, and really thought all those people were after you.

When Crocodile Hunter Live was shown on Animal Planet, he didn’t want to go to bed. We had to tape it for him so he could watch it the next day. And the next day. And the next day. And…

When he was 7, we got him a puppy for his birthday. He named his dog, Dingo. His reasoning was that Dingo is an Australian word, and Steve Irwin is from Australia.

He seemed to have lost interest in the show about a year and a half ago, but he didn’t outgrow his love for wildlife. I hope he never does. Mr. Irwin, you taught my son that it’s okay for boys to be nature lovers. I thank you for that.

While your career was not without controversy, you touched many people, and many of those people were children.

Terri, Bindi, and Bob, I am so sorry for your loss.