Connecting

  One of the things we love about Home Education is the opportunity to take in community events and field trips whenever the opportunity & mood strikes us.   Nurturing a sense of community is really about nurturing PEOPLE.  

Recently, we went with a group of homeschool students and their parents to the local Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachment for an in depth tour.  We learned a lot about the daily work that our local police officers do and even a little bit about the laws within our province and country.  It was an incredible learning experience for all of us (parents included) and it certainly gave us a strong appreciation for the R.C.M.P. in our community.   An excellent connection was made for the kids - gone is the fear of the unknown... the police station really is a friendly place to be! 

Another place that we get the kids involved in great activities is the library.  We are so fortunate to have a library that is rich in quality, low cost (or free) programming for children.  Reece just finished a Reading Buddy program where grade 2 students were paired up with volunteer high school students in a group setting for reading, games and activities.  What a fun program!  His reading has improved and he had an absolutely fantastic time with his buddy ~ a strong connection was formed and Reece feels like he BELONGS more than ever to the richly nurturing library community.  The kids often attend holiday and seasonally themed events there filled with crafts, stories and plenty of games and fun.  The library truly feels like an extension of our home - we are that strongly connected to it.

Reece connected with his friends for his birthday party over the weekend and tremendous fun was had by all.   We held the party at our local gymnastics studio and the kids ran jumped, flipped and climbed to their heart's content..  Such a treat to do something much anticipated...  he looked forward to this party for many long weeks :)

Last but not least ~ Family.   Kelly was home for the week and we enjoyed lots of time connecting with him and plugging our family back together.  Our older boys are so busy with their own lives out of the home, that the younger kids sometimes feel disconnected from them.  I'm thankful that both boys have taken just a wee bit of time of late to connect with the younger members of the family.  

Ian leaves in 2 weeks for an 8 month trip to Australia and Mitchell will be spending Christmas in BC with his future Parents-In-Law, so this will be the first Christmas that our family has not been all together.  It's bittersweet.  I'm realizing now (more than ever), the incredible importance of staying connected as a family.  It's a challenge as they grow up and branch out into their own lives away from the home.  They also are forming connections with friends, future family, other countries, and new communities.  As a parent, it's exactly what I want them to be doing... it's what we've modelled for years.  It's just for the first time ever ~ it's not with ME.   

That is good, no?  Of course it is :)  It's just going to take a wee bit of getting used to...