This week is National Homeschool Hike And Bike week.  I know you all knew that and planned events in your cities too!  Just like we did!  Many families met at a park with bikes, scooters, skateboards and strollers.  We set off on the bike trail to hike and bike all in the name of homeschooling.  The weather was perfect as was the crowd.

These two crowds of large kids are a few of of the teens from our homeschool group.  They get bigger every week and they move in a pack.  On this day the pack decided not to participate in the festivities but to check out the river instead.  These teens have minds of their own and love to be together.  I am finding this to be a tricky time to be a parent.  The boundaries are stretched to the limit and friends take precedence over all else it seems.  Parts of parenting a teen are really enjoyable, having a discussion, laughing at the same jokes, working side by side, having a babysitter in the house!!  But these interactions are few as Jake heads out with friends, is on the computer or on the phone.  It all happened too fast- it seems as though those precious tween years lasted about 8.34 minutes.  Although in the thick of it I am sure I was thinking diferently.  Many of us parents were disappointed the teen group decided not to ride with us yesterday but that didn’t stop the rest of us from enjoying the day.

Even Cornelius Fudge joined us in honor of homeschooling!

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I signed the girls and me up to do this. It is a Nature Journaling on-line class at Camp Creek Press. We have been looking at some books on making books and getting some ideas. I am thinking about a mini-nature journal as well as a few others. Maybe next week-bookmaking!
This has been a really busy week with extra outside activities added into our regular busy schedule. Yesterday we went rollerskating/blading. It is a monthly homeschool event that Molly has really come to enjoy. Luckily I found our old plastic, playschool, over the shoe skates in the garage for Ginger. She was in heaven, shuffling around that rink with the big kids.
Today was the monthly trip to an indoor sports facility to jump in bouncies and blow up slides, kick ball, soccer…..It is tons of fun for the kids and another chance for Moms to chat. Today I met a couple of new families.
We are really lucky in our neck of the woods to have so many homeschooling families. We have several homeschool groups; religious, secular, inclusive, unschoolers. All are very active. I can’t really imagine it any other way. Between the homeschool families from our La Leche League group to the Several families from Jake’s preschool class that went on to homeschool, we never felt isolated. It is so nice for our out side the box lifestyle choices to seem completely run of the mill with these people. And making new friends is always so exciting!
Tomorrow we are going to a local yarn shop for a drop spindle and spinning class. Sure to be a big hit!! I promise photos.

One last tid bit of info–This morning I found a link to this raw food site. It looks great and it is full of more links to check out. I was about 95 % raw from last March until just after Thanksgiving. I felt so great! Once the cold weather hit I dropped back to about 20% raw. It sure gets cold and damp here. But my husband bought me a food dehydrator for xmas so hopefully that will help this winter. Well now that Spring has sprung it is time to shed my winter coat. I am back to my raw eating habits and daily walking and I must say it feels good.

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Tuesday is usually one of our busy days, but Ginger’s preschool is on break this week so that was one less thing. The big kids had circus today and then Molly had her art class. During the art class I get to hang out with my favorite, fellow homeschoolin’ Mama friends and drink really tasty chai. This really makes all the driving around and sitting around during various classes something to look forward to. Along with these Mama’s come their families too; big kids, litle kids, husbands. I like all of them just as much!
One of the things that I particularly love about homeschooling is that our kids are not age or sex segregated. For example, today Molly’s art class consisted of her closest homeschool friends; two 8 yr old girls, a 10 year old girl, and an 11 year old boy. The kids at the coffee shop were 20 month old twins playing with two 4 yr olds while a 12 yr old boy, 13 yr old boy and a 15 year old girl ran around the neighborhood. The big kids were there to help with the younger ones for a while as is the case whenever we have a homeschool activity. What a great opportunity for the big kids to be needed. We recently attended an unschoolers confrence and the presenter spoke of the importance of teens feeling like they are a contributing member of the family. Having the opportunity to mentor, teach and help out is a great way to do this. It’s also fun for the younger kids as well. Everyone likes to feel needed!
Socialization as homeschoolers is not a problem for us! They are interacting with babies to adults out in public as well as with people they know on a daily basis, while most kids are hanging out with kids there same age all day every day. That is just advantage #63.

This morning Ginger and I made this

GOOD MORNIN’ APPLE CRISP
7 med apples sliced (or more as they cook down)
1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins
2 TB sugar (I use Sucanat)
2 cups Museli cereal or oats–I use oats
2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour or if you want wheat free use brown rice flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I use more)2 TB ground flax seeds (I use heaping)
1-2 tsp cinnamon (You guessed it-I use 2)
6 TB canola oil (I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
4 TB maple syrup

pre-heat 375 Lay apples and cranberries in lightly oiled 9×13 baking dish (I use the slicer side on my grater to slice the apples), Sprinkle with the sugar
Combine remaining ingrediants and press over apple mixture.
Bake 45 mins or until golden brown and hot and bubbly.

You can even serve this with whip cream and call it dessert!!
I even delivered some to Alissa at her new studio space, just like I promised!! Too bad Melissa wasn’t there-I gave her portion to our circus teacher. Maybe next week!!

Tomorrow newspapers to deliver, a friends bedroom to secretly decorate while they are at school, Jake to friends for working on a movie they are filming Me-checking blogs! Oh and laundry and dishes of course.

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