Dance Team Picnic or
Those Unsocialize Homeschoolers...NOT!

For the past few years our dance studio has had a competition family team picnic in the fall to kick of the new competition year. It is fairly well attended and we always have a good time. I won't bore you with the details about the food and the chitchat, just wanted to share an observation with everyone.....

After everyone ate, most of the older team members departed (after all it was a SATURDAY night, prime party and date night!) so it was mainly the 13 and under crowd remaining. The entire group that remained seemed to gather in the field and the more I observed, the more I noticed that is was EMILY and GRANT organizing the ENTIRE group, probably 20 kids not counting their siblings, in playing assorted field games that they LOVED to play. I commented to one of the teachers at the studio, a former homeschoolers, asking her if it reminder her of anything...she laughed, knowing it looked similiar to many a homeschool gathering, where the kids just organize themselves and play a game, including everyone from toddler to teen. It was odd for me to see Emily, my quiet child, as the one organizing the entire group, I am so used to seeing her follower her older brother's and sister's led. Grant stood as her biggest cheerleader, rallying the boys to join in the games. Can I say that I glowed with pride?

We ended up staying much longer than I intended. As each game ended, a new game began and the laughter from the group was intoxicating! They played for over an hour, no one cried, no one quit, everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves! As I called my crew over to leave (I needed to be home by 7:30 PM) one of the dads commented "well, if Emily is leaving, everyone is going to want to leave".

I love the life I have chosen to live with my children, but it certainly is nice to see others realize what great kids they are! I wish I had thought to take pictures of the field games, certainly a sweet end of summer memory!