Summer is for playing

Last night on the beach I had the great pleasure of chatting with several moms while our kids played volleyball. The group consisted of 3 homeschool Moms, 1 mom who's always homeschooled older son went to PHS this year and whose younger son remains homeschooled, and the last mom has 3 kids always PS'd. This is a lovely bunch of women who I respect greatly, and enjoy each time we are together.

I learned last night that High Schoolers have work to do over the summer! And, to me, it seemed like a lot. 3 novels and a paper. Now, when I was in school we started after Labor day and finished the first 3-5 days of June. I do not recall any mandatory summer reading and I am certain I never wrote a paper in the summer. Nowadays, the kids start school before Labor Day in some areas and don't finish till the 3ed or 4th week of June. That leaves roughly 8 weeks left to play, swim, enjoy the family, travel, explore.... I don't understand the need to assign required reading of 3 novels and a paper.

I tend to read lots of biographies, historical novels and cookbooks during the year. To me, summer screams for bad fiction, cheesy crime novels and an occasional cliche romance thrown in for good measure. Summer reading is carefree, light, non-substantial and fun!! Are we taking the joy of reading from our kids by telling them what they MUST read? I do make suggestions to my kids about noteworthy works, and sometimes they even follow my lead! But I can't imagine assigning a book to any of my kids and not only forcing them to read it, but making them write a paper about it as well!!! This is ludicrous to me.

More than anything, I hope to inspire my children, encourage a love of learning and show them that the journey is enough, the destination will be what it will. I am grateful to have the opportunity to learn alongside my babies and see their faces light up when they hit upon something interesting. I love this unschooling life, and I love my free summers!!!

Vacation

We are taking a vacation to the beach... silly, right? My cousin is graduating from Ocean City High School so my whole family and some long time friends are renting a house for a week. There are not enough beds for everyone, it is a 5 hour drive and I have to board my dog...all to go to a beach exactly like the one we have a few miles down the road? I must be nuts.

I am taking all of our bikes and very much looking forward to riding every place we need to go. It will be nice to sit on the front porch and see the ocean rolling along, and there are dolphins jumping every morning just after sunrise. The boardwalk will provide limitless entertainment for the kids as will their cousins and honorary cousin. I will have other grown ups around in case I feel the need to shower without an audience or, God forbid, take a bike ride alone! I really enjoy my sister, and it will be nice to sit on the beach with her like we used to do as kids. Ironically, in the 8 years I have lived here my family has never visited in the summer! Apparently the thought of battling Long Island traffic in the summer does not appeal to them. Funny how I always manage to get to PA a few times each summer unscathed...

Anyway, I am making lists and trying to figure out how to pack up everything a family of 4 (no Daddy this trip) will need for a week, including bicycles. I also have to take a 2 month supply of Monavie and Tastefully Simple products to everyone I will not see again till August! I hope to come home with significantly less, but somehow that seems unlikely!

Summer has arrived, I can't wait to enjoy every minute!