[RosieCotton]

Considering I was homeschooled for a good part of my life, my back-to-school memories aren't of the same sort. No new clothes...no fears of what the teachers would be like this year, no thoughts as to popularity.

I remember getting my stack-o'-supplies, for sure, though! I soooo love new notebooks and pens and pencils and all that. I still tend to hoard such things. And usually I'd get new or new-to-me textbooks a few weeks before we really dived in. Most years Mom would have a new idea for organizing said textbooks and supplies, so we'd get all that set up, too.

And there were always lots of activities for getting together with other homeschoolers during the year, so there was that. And giving up most time with my few friends who went to public school - I was always amazed at how little free time they really had during the year, what with homework and sports and long days. In comparison, we were pretty free to come and go, so long as we scrambled to get our work done early.

I'm such a spoiled brat...

[rightwingintelligentsia]

Homeschooling wasn't the "thing" in my generation (and I won't tell you what that was ;-)), but we have a lot of kids in our church who have been homeschooled.

It sounds like a great experience.

[WFTR]

I have a buddy at work who was "homeschooled" for two years when his mom was a diving instructor in Mexico. I think she was on the Yucatan and was taking tourists diving almost year-round. She sent away for materials to "homeschool" him, and he could pretty much go at whatever pace he wanted. He says that he'd typically go through all of the materials and pass all of the tests in about two months. He'd spend the other ten months selling sea shells and coconuts to tourists on the beach.

Are you in college now? If so, how has it been for you? In some ways, the life you are describing sounds more like the college life. I'm not completely sold on homeschooling, but I'm glad that you enjoyed it so much.

Bill