Well summertime is here, which brings some new challenges to my work at home experience . Namely, a bored (almost) 12 year old, Princess Der. We are a little late in figuring out some summer activities.

The first week in July brings my sister all the way from Virginia. She will be taking my daughter camping for a few days along with a couple of cousins. While she's gone, Ron & I are off to Dallas, to the AmeriPlan Convention- I am psyched! I still don't have anything to wear, but I'll get to that soon :-)

Our county has some great programs for kids- kind of costly- around $75.00-$80.00 per class, but they are good. They are for 1/2 day, and run for a week. Last year my daughter got her babysitting certification and took a wood working class. She enjoyed both immensely. This year she wants to take baking and something to do with spa & beauty stuff or something.

We already have a music camp scheduled that runs a few days. That was free- I couldn't believe it, and they serve lunch!

Our library has a summer reading program. For the 3 years that I worked at the library, my daughter couldn't really get involved, because she was at summer camp all day. Now I'm home, and she is in with the teens, which she will really like. They always have a college student or older teen run the program. The kids really like that.

We also have some great sports and arts programs through the town. My daughter really wants to do archery, but her Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis really affects her hands and wrists, so she's not sure she could pull on the bow string (or whatever it's called). We're not sure if any of the programs are for her, as all dates conflict with other things.

We are also playing "school" this summer. Home school, that is. My daughter wants to be home schooled and personally, I feel in some ways school has failed her. She has always been super-smart. In preschool, K & 1st grade, the teachers thought she was brillant. Her Kindergarten teacher said she was like a sponge, she just "thirsted" for knowledge and soaked it all up. Enter 2nd grade- it was like they were talking about a different kid! She didn't like school, couldn't get work done on time, etc...etc... Ironically it was second grade where my oldest started having problems. He literally skipped school, was kicked out of school, or just plain zoned out at school from 6th grade on. He never really learned algebra, but was always a math wiz. Took his GED when he was 18, passed with flying colors!

And Golden Child has proven that traditional education wasn't for him. Enter alternative school- the kid is flying through Independent Studies,he ALMOST graduated on time, despite failing 6th grade. He doubled up here & there and was just 3 classes short of graduating this year.

So this makes me wonder if "school" is the right thing for Princess Der. This kid spends the majority of her day on learning activities- playing school, reading, playing educational Internet games. So, why not expand on that and see what happens?

Oh course I have no plans yet......

Although I AM reading an excellent book on home schooling which just fires me up more!

So.... I'll keep you'all posted.

Feel free to comment with any good home schooling sites or advice.