Not Back to School--still

I felt it building when 7th grade loomed and the questions started in earnest in 8th grade--"Are you going to keep homeschooling through highschool?"  There was an article about this circulating around FB recently.  I don't mind the question, since a lot of people we know don't homeschool and  have been fine with the fact that we do.

I do find it a bit funny sometimes, because it sounds like I'm the one who's going to highschool.  No thanks!  Once was enough. I also find it funny because I'm asked as though it's 100% my  decision.

Maybe they share the same anxiety I have about teaching highschool?  I'd hate to have to teach highschoolers.  Good thing I informed my kids long ago that I have no intention of teaching highschool.  And what that looks like is lots of things happening outside our home.  We've always road and field-trip schooled, so this is not a huge shift, but it does seem to entail a lot more driving around.  I don't know, maybe it just seems like more because these activities for older kids don't need me to do much--drop and go for a good many.  But that's not always practical since I also need to pick back up.  So I hang around with not much to do--especially if there's no wifi--The Horror!  I'm lucky in that I like most of my kids' friends' parents.  But it's even harder now to get any kind of housework or yard work done.  It's also been complicated by the fact that so much else has been going on around here that routine has been hard to come by.

In case you haven't kept up with our current events, the end of our summer looked like this:

• Went to take a look at the layout of a house in a neighborhood we'd been looking in.
• Liked the house so much we decided to put in a bid but had to close quickly to get a good price and because I was going to leave town the last week in August
• Spent the next three weeks running around trying to get mortgage info together and to get anything we could get done on the old house and packing
• On pins and needles for a week wondering if the funding would come through
• Mortgage set, closing date set
• Do final walk through the morning of closing--Liz breaks ankle while checking caulking in the jetted tub
• Wrap up ankle and go to closing, then to doctor, then for x-rays
• Next day--movers arrive at 9am, get a call that new x-rays are needed, Jeannie to the rescue to take Liz for more x-rays
• Next day--Liz off to orthopedics to get giant boot--gives up any hope of heading out of town
• September arrives--we go to the not back to school potluck with no intention of  starting the school year yet.
• Next week--Pete has planned sinus surgery
• Liz's mom arrives to save the day-unpacking, cleaning and laundry-doing ensues.
• Sept 10--Katie gets her braces off!
• Sept 19 Liz's mom returns to her own calm, much less work involved life
• Continued cleaning, repairs and work on the old house to get ready to sell it and unpacking the new house

And now we've gotten a bit into the fall groove.

For those interested, Katie and Zack are taking
Marine Biology from the Smithsonian
Katie has two once a month book clubs
Katie will do Girl Scouts again, which is now conveniently right across the street
There's a free digital movie making class from Microsoft that one co-op is doing
We joined the secular co-op (scoop) where they take yoga and zoology
Then there's Teaching Textbooks Algebra I and Rosetta Stone Italian and, if I ever get my act together, Bravewriter Highschool writing.
Plus teen group and park day and possibly parkcour for Zack in the winter.
And Doctor Who

Pete is still recovering from sinus surgery and is enjoying breathing easier, but not enjoying continued headaches.

I was driving myself insane booking speakers for the VaHomeschoolers Conference and also coordinating the conference itself, but then I regained my senses and got more help.  It's going to be a great conference, you should come.

The old house is about ready to get on the market--cross everything you have that it will sell quickly!

Hope you are enjoying the cooler fall weather.  I am enjoying the bright blue sky I can see through my uncurtained windows.


Our next adventure--furniture and rugs--and selling the old house.


:)