Out and About

Since my kiddos are still young, getting out there has mostly involved playing with other children. We meet with a Mommy and Me group at a local church once a week. It is mostly geared toward little ones, but there is one other homeschool family with an older child who attends occasionally. I like that it is fairly casual, and no one bats an eye when you mention homeschooling (or baby wearing, or cloth-diapering, or...oh wait, that's another topic for another day!).

We also go to the local YMCA twice a week. Not because I love to work out--I wish that was it!--but rather, I work there. Praise the Lord, I am able to take the kiddos with me. They love the different toys, games, and activities there, and they get to be around different children every time we go. Our kids also attend Y sports as we can afford it. They have participated in t-ball, and would like to try soccer and ballet.

We will begin attending our first co-op at the end of this month. I'm hoping that it will be a good experience for all of us. I'm not exactly for sure how it will all work out, but I think that our oldest two will enjoy learning and meeting a new group of friends. They are little social butterflies, so I'm sure they will have a great time. I would like to meet more homeschooling moms there, and possibly get some more ideas for fun "out and about times."

We also want to have a few educational field trips this school year. At the top of my husband's list is visiting Homosassa Springs and the Crayola Factory. I would like to go to the local zoo, as well as the St. Louis Zoo and Science Center (both of which are free!). We are pretty flexible, though, and love to travel, so we are open to just about any possiblities. And I think our kids will be happy with any place we decide to go, as long as it's not Home Depot or Target!