How we started unschooling

We pulled the kids out of school the end of the 2000-2001 school year (so May 2001). Brett had just finished 4th grade, Hannah 3rd and Emily 1st.  Grant had just "graduated" from preschool.  The younger 5 have never been to school in any shape or form (unless you consider my 7 and 5 year old going to Sunday school--their choice!-- as being school).  We started homeschooling the Tuesday after Labor Day (which was September 4th) and I had every intention of doing school at home because that was what I thought I was supposed to do.  We started unschooling exactly 1 week later (on September 11, 2001).  That day impacted me in more ways than I can probably even fathom, now, 8 1/2 years later.  The day the towers fell, the pentagon was attacked and an open field held the remains of another plane (which had been over our area just an hour earlier) taught me to embrace each day for what it had to offer and to not worry about what the future would hold because there was absolutely no promise of tomorrow.  If tomorrow was never to come, would I want to spend my day buried in some textbook, learning things I had no desire to learn or would I want to be embracing my passions surrounded by the people I love?  The answer was a no brainer!  We really have never looked back!  So without textbooks, syllabi or curriculum I have watched our family grow (we have had 3 children since that day) and learn (yes, they CAN read!) and live life following their own passions and encouraging each other.