Beginning of the School Year!!!!

Something I love about beginning a new school year, is making all the new memories. Starting over, fresh, refreshed, and ready to jump in!

Something we love to do, is a beginning of the new year, NOT back to school party! This is something I started with our local homeschool group, and it continued. This year we went on a walk. There's an awesome river close by us, and it has a nice paved walkway right next to it. All the A's and their little friends could wonder off the paved path, and explore to their hearts content! I could stay on the path, with the stroller and the littlest "A" and still see everyone. We always enjoy these times.

This is a tradition, everyone should invest alittle time in doing! You could easily do this alone, as a family or with a group. There are so many possibilities for things to do.

One of my favorite things about these types of activities, is watching my kids. I love to sit back or walk behind them, and just notice how they interact with the kids around them. At first it seemed like no one was going to intermingle!! There were 3 families there, and it's two families we have done things with, but not that often. They also are usually with other friends they have had for awhile or a larger group of kids. On this walk, the kids were grouped into groups of 2-3 kids. A2 is by far my most outgoing of children. Though she is getting into the age that she's not too sure where she fits in exactly. She definitely has a high self esteem, which I am very happy about. I know if she attended public school she would be a mess. She doesn't do well in that type of situation. I have struggled with her, and I can honestly say I actually feel like I am seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, she might be coming to a maturity level, that hopefully we will have an easier year this year. She struggles with staying on track, staying focused and staying in tune. If you have a child like this, you should really look into the right brained child~ this was a life saver for us!!

A3 is definitely my more quite/shy content to be by herself! She is alot like me, in that sense. I was quite amazed she ended up befriending two little sisters there, and actually had a great time with them. I like that the too A's {A2 and A3} are starting to branch out alittle bit. I think it will be good for both of them along with their relationship. Two girls so close in age, usually spells DRAMA!! A1 and A4 had a great time with 2 other boys there, that were close in age. They seemed to get along nicely and have some common interests. Then there was the group of 4 cute little girls {pictured above} They were so cute, instant friends. That did make me ponder, as I often do, isn't it funny how if you put a group of young kids together, it's almost like they are long lost best friends!?!! There's no judgment there. They just started skipping down the path, and holding hands, like they had all known each other forever. A5 has a friend, sadly she moved away, but she comes and visits her Grandparents, our neighbors a few times each year. Everytime they are together, it's like they were never apart. They are so cute, they even kiss each other goodbye!

Why is it that we, adults or even older children, have to judge? Why is it that we think we can just look at someone and know who they are, what they are about, and why we can not befriend them? Without even knowing them?
This is something I fear for my children, the hatred of the world. I can teach them, I can lead them, I can guide the, and keep them accepting of others.....but in the long haul, I can not change the actions of others, I can not keep them in a bubble, I can not always be there. And it scares me. This world is so full of evil, and hatred.....that even these sweet little girls will one day have to confront.

Sometimes I wonder why I do all I do? Why I get so involved in our homeschool community? Why I take on such a load to make sure opportunities are there.....and then I think of those 7 precious blessings I have....and how I need to expose them to the situations to help teach them and guide them, but yet I can still have some control over the situation. Which is why I do it.

I read earlier today, in our lunch time classic novel {the work and the glory 1} about how things are not always taught but they are learned through example. Not everything is a planned and sought out lesson you will carefully correlate and present....but learning is also life. And life is learning.

I hope this has helped someone out there, I didn't intend on this post becoming what it became. I actually was just going to post a bit about traditions for school! My heart is full tonight, and I hope it has opened a new door into someone elses heart.