CREW BLOG HOP ~~ Not Back to School

Come join the Crew for the September Blog Hop! This blog hop is open to all homeschoolers!  Just click the button to sign the Linky!
This months theme is "Not-Back-To-School" but don't let the name of the theme fool you. The blog hop folks have tried really hard to choose themes that are vague and open. You can really write about anything that has anything to do with the theme.
The September hosts are Families Again,  Marine Corps Nomad, Faith, Family & Fun & Training up Children For Christ - click over to any of these blogs to learn more!

*Not back to school* is a time we LOVE!  We always start school first week in August.  It's too hot to do anything else, so we get started - gives us time to take off whenever we want for fun things (in the cool weather!). The first couple of years I homeschooled, we celebrated not going back to school by going to IHOP for a late breakfast/brunch.  Of course, we got tons of questions!!  Anyways, we became active with a homeschool group and we invited them.  A few said that was too expensive, so we opted to meet the group at the donut shop.  For the past three years, on the first day of public school, we raid the donut shop.  Our group has always been kinda spread out, so we have set up a few meeting spots and there are Central AR Homeschoolers all over central AR!
Last year, one of the moms arranged for a skate day and so we left the donut shop and headed to skate off that sugar high!  This year, we all meet at a large play area and the kiddos played greatly together while the mommas chatted!  We don't really do any formal schooling on that day, just celebrating the fact that we don't have to go back!  
My favorite - when someone asks *did you not start school today* is being able to say that we have already been in school for 3 weeks!!