So, school starts in about two weeks.  And usually, this would incite the blues around here.

But, we’re actually looking forward to it this year.

Normally, we all have this sense of urgency and dread.

Urgently trying to rush around squeezing every last drop of goodness out of our summer.

And the never ending schedules and being tethered to home cause us much dread.  We experience a tightening of the noose kind of feeling.

For my spontaneous little family, it’s like doing nine months of hard time.

The ratio of days we look forward to-to days we dread seem way out of balance.

But, we’ve decided to step off of the hamster wheel.  We’re very bad at keeping it going anyway.  And we certainly don’t enjoy it. And, seriously, who said it mattered in the first place?

I’ve enrolled the fellows in online school this year. It’s still public school.  We just won’t be so encumbered.

I must say, I’ve got no problems with their schools.  They’ve had wonderful teachers.  I’ve loved and trusted them all.

There are wonderful kids there.  This has nothing to do with me sheltering them from the unwashed masses.

But, I’m just comfortable enough to think that learning can take place somewhere else.  And for us, it may be a good solution.

I’m not doing this to narrow their world view, I’m hoping to expand it.

We’re planning on doing a lot of traveling this year.   And to me, there’s so much to be learned from being on the road.

Our plans are still kind of loose.  And that is just how I like it.  The hard schedules are the thing I liked least about school.

And so, we’re giving it a go.  And if it doesn’t work, there’s a great school with wonderful teachers that I’ll send them back to, quick as lightning.

My husband and I have their best interests at heart above all else.   And so, instead of complaining and living with a lifestyle that we really detest, we’re hoping this shows them that it’s okay to make changes.

So, the first lesson from this adventure, I hope, is if you’re not satisfied, you have options. Being discontent and harping on it all the time is just weird.  Complaining for complaining’s sake is just….annoying.  Especially if you aren’t willing to do what it takes to change things up.

It’s okay to do things differently.

And just because it’s the norm, doesn’t mean it’s right for you.

Maybe that’ll be lesson number two.

I’ll let you know how it goes!

****Just wanted to give some credit where it’s due.  For over a year, I’ve followed Lori’s Lolz as she writes about educational options.  She and her family online school using the K12 curriculum that we’ll be using.  At the end of last summer, I felt a little tug and pull to give it a try.  But, didn’t have any problems at our regular schools and so I thought I couldn’t justify it.  This year, I realized that we didn’t have to have a problem to want another option.   Something doesn’t have to be wrong for it not to be right.

It took me long enough to figure that out!  I’ve got high hopes that this will be the option that works for us.

*****Oh, and the kids are thrilled!  They were very much a part of this decision.  They, like their Mama, are a freedom loving crowd and are hoping this will be a good fit.  We shall see.

Be sure and follow along!  It should be interesting!