Another Year Begins, and Something Ends(?)

It's the practice around here to post a picture or two of the Offspring on their first day of school on the Tuesday after Labor Day--so here they are. The careful reader will have noticed that the children are not sitting around the kitchen table, their hair in some degree of disarray and wearing clothing that is comfortable if not easy on the eyes. In fact...they appear to be outside.

What gives?

Well, as of today, the Offspring aren't being homeschooled (for all but a couple of subjects, including Bible)--they've enrolled in a new Classical Academy in the area.

I'll take a quick break here to tell you to feel free to fire all the invective, hate mail, charges of giving up, selling out, etc. I've probably uttered worse about the choice.

Yes, I still believe in Homeschooling, but more than anything, I believe in Parental Choice. The best choice for these parents of these children is to put them in this Academy--they have the resources to do the things we've always wanted to/tried to do. We don't. In particular, I don't have the resources to keep going at the rate I have been. Maybe I could've faked some of the abilities I don't have--there's enough great helps/curricula for homeschoolers out there, if I only had time/energy. In a sense, it's a choice between by health and the education of the kids.

As much as I didn't want to admit it (and I thank some friends' prodding, and my wife's patient endurance and encouragement to see it), God answered prayers I should've been praying and got us into this school's inaugural year. It's practically just what we'd have designed if we'd thought of starting an Academy. If this school existed when Frodo was 4, we'd have tried to get him in then rather than starting homeschooling. And we're not the only ones doing that--approximately 1/2 the students this year have been homeschooled up to this point.

I really do think that this is the best solution for us--not just for me, but this will equip the Offspring better than I think I could've. This year will be a probationary period...next year we may return all, some, or none of the children to the Academy. We hope (for their sakes) at this point that it's all. But time will tell.

So today, they boarded a school bus for the first time, very excited about the day (tho' less than excited about the unusually cold morning). They all came back unusually chatty about all their new experiences. Samwise and the Princess both have close friends in their classes, Frodo has an old Little League teammate in his, so that helps.

Making the decision to send the Offspring off is one thing, actually doing it, is another. Still, Mom and Dad handled the first day okay--it was rather a busy day, so that helped. We'll see if that continues. WonderMutt, on the other hand, just about had a nervous breakdown--all her charges gone, and the parents let it happen? She just couldn't believe it.

Sometime, remind me to sing the glories of school uniforms--I'm inclined to buy into the behavioral/cultural/etc. reasons for it, but I know and exult in the benefits for parents--monetary and ease, if nothing else.