This...

Hmm, I think I may have written about this spot here...and oh yeah... here......oops, it looks like maybe one other time too.
Yes, you could say this trail is pretty special.

For some reason I've been skirting around this. Unsure of how to say it. Not wanting to say it aloud. Thinking it might change. Well, apparently is hasn't so here goes.

My cluster of 3 is in school.

There, I said it aloud so I guess that makes it real.

So, we don't do this trail every week like we used to when they were home. Sniff, sniff. 
Remind me, change is a good thing, right?

This might be a temporary thing. It might be for the long haul. It may work for all of them or just one...maybe two. We will see. So they are in (since last February) and the littlest ones and I have our rhythm at home. Some days, it is nice...some days its a bit heartbreaking. We miss that cluster so.

So, why are they there then?

We moved. The school here is tiny, very community oriented and frankly - I needed help. Our days were not flowing as they once did. It was becoming a tangled mess most days so I went there, just to check it out.

(Note to self - if you're undecided , maybe don't bring the kids next time? Silly me.)

And the reactions ranged from intrigue to... "can I go right now?". Gee, thanks there, girly. Sheesh (she's my highly social, enthusiastic adventurer as you might guess).  Funny thing is, we went with one child in mind. Just to see, just for some support and maybe some specials for the others. Homeschooling activities were null and void in our area so it required a lot of driving to do group things. Not wanting our life to become car schooling, I thought this might be a good option. These guys were itching for some regularity in seeing friends. And, truth be told, I think more structure than I was able to provide for them at the time.

It was a funny progression. The one we went there for - was not interested. The youngest one of the 3 - all for it (adventure girl) and the oldest of the 3? Intrigued, yet thoughtfully cautious. So it went something like this -
We thought about it for oh...3 months (first contact and visit)
Then after lots of  ppllleeeasssee's from guess who - the ball got rolling.
Adventure girl dived in never looking back.
The middle one (the whole reason behind the whole shebang) was interested but, highly nervous. It took her about a week of her sister coming home and talking it up to give it a go. Now in, she hasn't wanted to miss a day.
That oldest one? He was home for about a month...then started classes 3 afternoons a week for one or 2 weeks then decided to give a full day a shot. He likes seeing friends regularly, he likes the specials. Some of the social stuff? - not so much and the academics - eh, he'd rather learn what we were exploring at home. So we do, squeezing it in when we can. He's into staying this year and doing some special things 5th graders get to do - awesome field trips and the like but so far, is thinking he'll be home next year. Frankly, most days, I think I'd like them all home next year (did I say that out loud) but will take what I can get ;)

Now, I'm not judging folks who homeschool, unschool, public school or any variation or combination thereof.  Every family makes the best decision based on where they are at and what works for them at that time. I am so very grateful this support network was here when I sorely needed it. I can see there are pluses and minuses- just as there are with homeschooling (in our experience). This seems to work for now. We take it day by day, week by week. 

And I reserve the right to pull their little butts right out of  there if need be ;)

So... that's what's new in our neck of the woods!