Ah Evaluations

Being back for a visit and seeing Beth and Abbey prepping for their homeschool evaluations brings back funny but faint memories. What a strange schooling experience we had with an odd grouping of fellow homeschoolers and friends on the ride with us. When in the beginnings of school I remember that if we were out during the day people would look at me funny and ask me why I was not in school. And often if I told people that I homeschooled they would look puzzled and ask "what is that?" or "is your mom a teacher?' or just give you a disapproving confused "Mmmm". I think the homeschooling experience of Beth and Abbey is quite different but some things remain the same. The benefits are still many and there are still small down sides I am sure as there is with all major decisions. I remember being interviewed several times for newspapers and what not as if we were an oddity. Especially one woman from a newspaper that came here and kept asking me why we did not wear shoes like she thought it was incredibly strange. I remember thinking that she was incredibly strange and must not be the sharpest tack in the box if that was all she could think of to ask me. From experiencing 4H with a bunch of farm kids, to dealing with the moms in jean jumpers that I saw as so close minded, to the very bazaar english class that I had with friends in our living room, to traveling all over the country with Dad on business trips homeschooling led to lots of adventures. I think my love for all different types of people, the desire to help others, the confidence to hold my own with people much older and more experienced than me, the ability to speak in public, a want to be creative and the desire to always learn more so that I can live better stem a lot from the fact that I homeschooled although I did not always like it at the time. Your Thoughts???