It is time to start checking into the Home School Legal Defense Association. They are an organization that provides legal representation to Home Schooling families around the country.

Planning:
I view the $100 per year subscription fee to HSLDA both as a way to help push pro-homeschool legislation and insurance against government intrusion. HSLDA is a great organization that has information on their website for what is required to comply with homeschooling laws in every state in the union. We only have to do a couple of things here in Oregon. First, we need to inform the Educational Services District (ESD) in our area that we are homeschooling within ten days after we start. Then, both Kelly and Christian will need to take a proctored standardized tests next year from a testing service as the third and fifth grades are state specified testing years. We do not even have to turn in the tests. We just have to have the results available in case the ESD asks for them. Testing is required after the third, fifth, eighth, and tenth years of homeschool. We might even do it more often if we feel it is useful.

Other:
I have a couple of second cousins nearby who are living in assisted living arrangements and who are monitered through the local mental health systems. Tim lives in an apartment by himself in our town while Dave lives in an apartment in a town about fifteen minutes away with his wife, Valerie, who is also in the mental health system. Tim goes to gospel meeting with us Sunday evenings and it has been great to get a chance to know both he and his brother a little better. Tim turned forty-five yesterday, so we had all three over along with a few other friends from church yesterday to inaugurate our new stainless steel barbeque.


Tim blowing out the candles


Dave and Val at Tim’s party

The couple who brought Dave and Val over are from our church. Kurt is from California and Rene is from Cottage Grove, the town where I was born. We actually had some of the same grade school teachers at Harrison Elementary School. Kurt saw that we are working on our patio at our house and wanted to know if he could come over and watch while we finished it up when we pour some exposed aggregate. What a great guy! I will put some pictures of the project up here when I get them in the next two or three weeks.


Kurt and Rene at Tim’s party


Jim and Joanne are the elders of our church.

Mabel is Joanne’s mother.