Mom's On Vacation, But The Kids.......

Let's get one thing straight: vacations for homeschooling parents are FOR the parents!! Homeschooling is something we DO and my children are both ALWAYS learning, so when I say we've been on "vacation", I mean I'VE been on a vacation from "formal instruction" and MY schedule has been more relaxed. The week before Easter DP and I played numerous games of "Uno", a game that she has just recently developed a taste for and a game which she is enjoying greatly (and those of you with kids on the spectrum know that it's important to jump on those opportunities of shared interests whenever they present themselves!). This past week we went to a different beach everyday, getting lots of exercising and exploring our amazingly beautiful coastline.

I share these photos not to be one of "those moms" who has to document and explain every nugget of learning their children unearth, but rather to remind MYSELF that learning is EVERYWHERE and "just" spending time, no, correct that; INVESTING time with my kids is THE most important platform for learning that there can be. I have to say that aloud to myself almost on a daily basis because in our culture we are bombarded with messages that learning is only valid if it's done while sitting at a desk in a classroom, or that a kindergartner "should" spend at least SIX hours a day in formal instruction (that was one of the first things someone very close to me told me when we first started homeschooling, I swear to you. I should have been horrified and come up with a quick response, but I was too ignorant). Or get this one, definitely one of my favorites from the past year: a friend was very happy when her son passed his weekly "pre-spelling test" in his Kindergarten class and therefor would be exempt from the regular spelling test. In KINDERGARTEN!!! And don't EVEN get me started on the pressures within the homeschooling community; "what curriculum do you use?", "what co-ops are you involved in?", "my kids go to all the homeschooling gym classes at the Y....how come we never see you there?".....and the list goes on. So these photos are to remind me that we ARE doing the work of learning, regardless of what family members, the neighbors or anyone on any of the listservs thinks....Hope you can see the fun and joy that we share!