We enjoyed celebrating the 249th anniversary of the United States of America a few weeks ago. Our youngest daughter was away at a camp in Oklahoma, so we celebrated with the kids who were at home. I fired up our smoker and prepared pulled pork for a simple family meal. My husband spent a large part of the day catching up around the farm, fixing some outdoor lights and mowing fields. Our oldest daughter had a day off work and had invited her boyfriend over. Unbeknownst to him, he was roped into some farm labor for part of the day. She enjoyed saddling up our horse trail riding until the heat got the best of her. She wound up cooling off in the pool. Our two sons slipped out to Beaver Lake for the day with some of their close friends. It was a pretty “chill” holiday and we enjoyed fireworks that evening at one of the neighbors’ yards.
We spent the following day at the lake with friends enjoying a much-needed day off from our never-ending to-do list. The day was fun, and we laughed as our sons and their friends worked hard to stay on the tube behind the boat. A day of enjoying the beauty of the lake ended with a magnificent fireworks display sponsored by the local marina.
After a weekend of having kids in and out of the house, it was time to restock on groceries. I rarely go into the store but for some reason, I popped into the local supercenter in Fayetteville and was shocked to see displays being changed over for school supplies. Ugh! I was not ready to see that yet. I love the slow pace of summer and all that it affords for our busy family. I raced my cart over to a different aisle to avoid having to see a reminder of what is coming next month.
I am a firm believer that school is not a “one-size-fits-all.” In northwest Arkansas, parents are given so many options for a child’s education, it is overwhelming! Our oldest daughter graduated from our zoned district’s high school. She is now thriving at the University of Arkansas. Our younger children attend a nearby rural school district we chose to transfer them to a few years ago. This past school year was our oldest son’s first year of high school. As far as teenagers go, he has been a puzzle for me. He is incredibly intelligent. However, if you ask him, he will tell you he hates going to school. Stuck at a desk for several hours a day is his version of prison. He is an active young man and enjoys being a part of the micro sprint racing world over in Tulsa. He enjoys friends who have similar interests and is a mechanic far beyond anything in my ability.
Over the summer, we have taken some time to explore options for his education moving forward through his remaining high school years and beyond. I have sat in on a few webinars for microschool, homeschool and public-school virtual academies. I have consulted with some parents who have an excellent reputation for homeschooling. We are weighing our options – my goodness there are a lot of them!
As I contemplate the recently celebrated Independence Day, I truly appreciate the freedom we have as parents in Arkansas to make the best decision for educating each of our children. I hope you found a way to celebrate all the freedoms you hold dear, neighbor.
Jody Harris is a freelance communications specialist, gardener, ranch wife and mother of four. She and her family raise Angus beef cattle and other critters on their northwest Arkansas ranch. She is a graduate of Missouri State University. To contact Jody, go to ozarksfn.com and click on ‘Contact Us.’
