East End Homeschoolers

Yes, I am deviating from the plan. I will get back to the Wish List, but we are taking a detour. I warned you there would be a few and you came along for the ride anyway. That, my friends, is the beauty of homeschooling. When you need to explore further, or completely abandon the path and search out a new one, you can!

As Nan mentioned in her comment on Item #4, I am extremely fortunate to runb a group here on the Twin Forks that I named East End Homeschoolers. What is now an actual homeschool group began in early 2004 as just an email list so I didn't have to type in a half dozen email addresses to get information out to my new found homeschooling friends here in Riverhead. Nearly three years later we have 25 families, almost 100 children!! I could never have imagined our little message forum turning into such a huge blessing. We have families from Montauk to Mastic, Christian, Jewish, UU, agnostic...the whole gamut. We share and learn and vent and celebrate all without any major contention. Yes, we CAN all get along :)

As we have been learning, homeschooling is not a individual sport, it is truly a team effort. It really does "take a village" to raise well rounded children, and we are fortunate to have the best village around. The friendships our family has nurtured in these past almost 5 homeschooling years have been our strength, support, sounding board and sometimes even our sanity! When talking to other homeschoolers it is understood that the house is never clean, science experiments grow on the counter and art projects appear on the walls...literally on the walls, not necessarily on paper! Life can stop for a cup of coffe and a friendly chat, the laundry will still be there tomorrow, and wrinkles are just one quick fluff cycle from extinction.

I am thankful for each and every person I have had the honor of meeting since moving here. This is truly, the best place on earth to raise our family.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, many, many blessings to each of your homes, and may your New Year be filled with unexpected gifts.