We just got home from our first summer 2013 camping trip at Gloucester Point. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been camping for almost 8 years now – we have made so many wonderful memories! Justin and I were actually thinking about selling the RV last year so that we could take “bigger” vacations, but both of the kids said that they loved camping and didn’t want to sell it 🙂 .
We spent three nights at Gloucester Point Jellystone Park and had fun bouncing on the jumping pillow, swimming in the pool, kayaking, fishing (even if the only thing we caught was a crab – LOL), making s’mores, riding bikes, playing games, and just being together. Justin and Brendan taught Ryan how to play chess and he did great!
While we were at the pool, the Gloucester County DARE officer was there with a group of her students and I told her that we were homeschoolers. One of her first questions/comments was, “you must be an educator or have a teaching degree right?”. You would think that after two years, I would have said “YES, I AM an educator”, but I didn’t. I told her that I had a college degree and then explained the different options in Virginia, how we take standardized tests, etc. Sometimes, I still feel I like I have to justify our decision to teach our kids at home. We have such a wonderful, supportive group of homeschoolers in our area that occasionally I forget how “different (or “strange”) our family’s lifestyle may seem to others.
The DARE officer was very sweet and even invited the boys over to have ice cream sundaes with her group, but our conversation made me think….the next time somebody asks me if I’m an educator, I will proudly say “YES 🙂 “!!!!!! As parents, we have been teaching our kids since they were born…how to walk, talk, write their names, how to use manners, not to talk to strangers, etc. God provides the wisdom needed for every parent as we raise our children, but it is our job to seek out that wisdom! We need to use His Word as our instruction manual, pray for our kids, seek out Godly mentors and resources, and listen for His leading. I’m PROUD, THANKFUL, and BLESSED to be a homeschool parent!!!!
Homegrown Hatfields 