The last couple of days in the van, I was finally listening to some homeschooling cassettes I got a year ago!  They were tapes from a homeschooling convention, and the person I received them from had a lending library for their support group, and decided to give them away when the group disbanded.  She made them available at a very poorly advertised curriculum sale last year, and I was one of the only buyers who came.  (And I got an amazing amount of stuff that evening for $25 – that was very fun but it was kind of a fluke and not something that I can count on happening again.) 

I’ve only listened to two of the cassettes so far, but I’m really enjoying it.   While we were listening to the first one, my 9 year old son kept saying, “That sounds like our family!” as the speaker gave examples of the kind of things they do and why.  It really did sound like us.  I think it was just as validating for my son to hear that we do all of these things recommended by this national speaker as it was for me. 

There are so many things about homeschooling that I love, but there’s not often many opportunities to share them with others, or hear it discussed.  So although I could have given these lectures from a position of more years of experience than the speakers and so far I haven’t heard anything novel (though there are a bunch of cassettes to go!), it was still really nice to hear.  Someone today told me she went to a weeklong retreat for homeschoolers, where they had workshops, meals, and activities for their kids together, and how encouraging and supportive it was. 

I can’t go to retreats like the one she attended for religious reasons, but listening to these cassettes gives me a feeling of that kind of support.  Something I’d love to do but have yet to make time for is put into writing my thoughts on a wide variety of homeschooling topics and issues.  I speak to so many people and answer their questions when they call or when I bump into them, and a little bit online, and I keep thinking it would be good if I could point them to something I’ve written about this so I don’t keep answering all the same questions!  I don’t have enough time in the day.  🙂  This week I made the decision to start a blog for it (step one!), but now I have to actually write up some posts!  Then there would be a little more of that much needed support for other homeschooling moms who share my religious beliefs.  (I’ll share the link with you once I get something put up on it, for those of you who might appreciate that info.)

Avivah