Aelwydd Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 Just moved here a few weeks ago, sight unseen. We're really impressed with the parks, the active lifestyles...the food! We're trying to find our niche. So far, we have yet to formally meet any of our neighbors. There is a park nearby, but ds has not yet really met any kids that aren't really young or are older teens. We are aware of one secular co-op in the Twin Cities area. We haven't connected with them yet, but plan to. Any Minnesotans here with advice or recommendations for getting plugged into the community? TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadeOrchidSong Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 Waving from South Minneapolis! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aelwydd Posted September 17, 2015 Author Share Posted September 17, 2015 Waving back....also from S. Mpls, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicentra Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 Not from MN but just over the border. :) Have you checked out the Minnesota Homeschoolers' Alliance? http://homeschoolers.org/ They are the inclusive homeschooling group in MN. MACHE is definitely not secular. MHA is even willing to let Canadians enter their homeschool science fair and participate in their other events. :) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aelwydd Posted September 17, 2015 Author Share Posted September 17, 2015 Canadians are allowed? Subversives, lol. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liber Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 hs adventures.org ECHO-MN, is a yahoo group Not homeschool related but if you are looking for an organic food buying club naturalfamilybuyingclub.org I know there are co-ops but I only knew about Christian ones. We thought Minnesota was a really nice state. No one wanted to move when it was time to come back to Canada. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 We live near Alexandria, MN, up in the west central part of the state. :) I sign dd up for a lot of community ed classes. They're fairly inexpensive and she meets a ton of kids that way. Most school districts in MN also let homeschooled kids participate in all the school extracurriculars, so you could look into that. You're down by the cities? Many of the museums down there have hs-specific stuff: https://www.smm.org/homeschool The MN Zoo is having Homeschool Day on October 6th, and a Homeschool Academy class for 9 - 12 year olds starting September 21st. http://mnzoo.org/education/schools-teachers/homeschool-families/ The Como Zoo has homeschool classes too. http://www.comozooconservatory.org/education/schools/home-school-classes/#/current-programs The way we've always met people is to just get out and do as many activities as possible. Be outgoing and don't be shy about asking people if they want to hang out sometime. Most of the people here are very nice. ;) Also don't be shy about contacting your local school and asking what resources they can offer you. Homeschooling is fairly normal here. You definitely don't have to hide your kid during school hours or anything like that. Oh, and do visit Duluth if you have the chance. It's a fantastic small city and the scenery is amazing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aelwydd Posted September 17, 2015 Author Share Posted September 17, 2015 Thanks for the tips!! Off to research these groups/ activities... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 Oh my gosh, I live in St. Paul. You are welcome to PM me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeLovePassion Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 I grew up in south Mpls. We are now in the north metro. I will write more later when not on my phone 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 I am mobile right now too but I will come back later. We are very involved in the secular homeschool scene in the cities including one of the secular co-ops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 Going to quick mention the yahoo group hsadventures Here is their web page and the link to the yahoo group is there. Lots of stuff gets posted here. It is overwhelming! http://hsadventures.org Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeLovePassion Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 Tons of events happening soon. Wapati rendezvous in Nowthen this Friday. Renaissance festival October 2. Sealife/Nickelodeon homeschool days are usually in October. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 I PMed you! :hurray: Welcome to Minnesota! :party: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicentra Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 Hey - I have a thought. :) Is anyone interested in doing a meet-up? I know, I know - I'm not technically a Minnesotan. Can I be an honourary Minnesotan? If I stop spelling "honourary" with a "u"? :D I'd be willing to drive down to Duluth for a day to meet there if anyone is interested. :) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aelwydd Posted September 17, 2015 Author Share Posted September 17, 2015 I'm not technically a Minnesotan yet either (have to get my new license, lol). I called about what I have to do to go native, and was told about an obstacle course, a triathlon, and a dog sled race I have to complete in the dead of winter. Also, I have to swear I have never have pledged allegiance to the Canadian flag, as this has dire consequences every 4 years. Does this sound right to the Minnesotans here?? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aelwydd Posted September 17, 2015 Author Share Posted September 17, 2015 WS, I responded to your PM! Also, I'm game for a meet up, Dicentra. :) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicentra Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 I'm not technically a Minnesotan yet either (have to get my new license, lol). I called about what I have to do to go native, and was told about an obstacle course, a triathlon, and a dog sled race I have to complete in the dead of winter. Also, I have to swear I have never have pledged allegiance to the Canadian flag, as this has dire consequences every 4 years. Does this sound right to the Minnesotans here?? We don't even pledge allegiance to our flag. :D Hmmmm... Maybe there's dire consequences if ANYONE pledges allegiance to the Canadian flag... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezrabean2005 Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 We're in the just outside of Minneapolis. Feel free to PM me too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bug's Mom Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 I'm not technically a Minnesotan yet either (have to get my new license, lol). I called about what I have to do to go native, and was told about an obstacle course, a triathlon, and a dog sled race I have to complete in the dead of winter. Also, I have to swear I have never have pledged allegiance to the Canadian flag, as this has dire consequences every 4 years. Does this sound right to the Minnesotans here?? You're not officially Minnesotan until you've made it through a winter. A real winter. Snow, blizzards, double-digit below zero temps. Have fun. :D 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadeOrchidSong Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 We have a show coming up And Then There Were None. Let me know if you want tickets. Google the show to find where. The time we are going is 11:00 on 11/13, Friday. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadeOrchidSong Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 Waving back....also from S. Mpls, lol.We can meet at Blue Moon or Brackett Park some afternoon. Our boys are close in age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 Hey - I have a thought. :) Is anyone interested in doing a meet-up? I know, I know - I'm not technically a Minnesotan. Can I be an honourary Minnesotan? If I stop spelling "honourary" with a "u"? :D I'd be willing to drive down to Duluth for a day to meet there if anyone is interested. :) Ooh, I'd love to do a meet-up! I lived in Duluth for six years while I went to college, and my mom and stepdad still live there. I could play tour guide if it's anyone's first time there. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liber Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 You're not officially Minnesotan until you've made it through a winter. A real winter. Snow, blizzards, double-digit below zero temps. Have fun. :D Having moved down from Winterpeg, we found the Minnesotan winters mild compared to what we were used to. Lol 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawyer&Mom Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 As a former ex-pat in Minneapolis: start thinking about your winter outdoor activities now. You will need to get out of the house. I bought used snowshoes at Midwest Mountaineering on Ceder Ave. I would snowshoe around the local playground, just to get some sun and raise my heart rate. The good news is there are beautiful sunny days in winter. The bad news is these clear winter days are super cold! But if you have the right clothes and gear winter can be wonderful. Minneapolis is fantastic, enjoy! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 Dicentra! Our music geek kiddos are pen pals right? We are going to be in Duluth Thanksgiving weekend tenatively. I went to college in Duluth for a year and we love going up there! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aelwydd Posted September 17, 2015 Author Share Posted September 17, 2015 As a former ex-pat in Minneapolis: start thinking about your winter outdoor activities now. You will need to get out of the house. I bought used snowshoes at Midwest Mountaineering on Ceder Ave. I would snowshoe around the local playground, just to get some sun and raise my heart rate. The good news is there are beautiful sunny days in winter. The bad news is these clear winter days are super cold! But if you have the right clothes and gear winter can be wonderful. Minneapolis is fantastic, enjoy! Thanks! Yes, I am already thinking about winter clothes and gear. I'm looking for super warm socks and boots and warm hats, etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aelwydd Posted September 17, 2015 Author Share Posted September 17, 2015 Ooh, I'd love to do a meet-up! I lived in Duluth for six years while I went to college, and my mom and stepdad still live there. I could play tour guide if it's anyone's first time there. :) We could call it the great northern plains meet up, to cover everybody. :D 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 Waving from the south. ;) (Only a nice couple of hours away.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 Thanks! Yes, I am already thinking about winter clothes and gear. I'm looking for super warm socks and boots and warm hats, etc. Knitting is a fine hobby to have here. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 As a former ex-pat in Minneapolis: start thinking about your winter outdoor activities now. You will need to get out of the house. I bought used snowshoes at Midwest Mountaineering on Ceder Ave. I would snowshoe around the local playground, just to get some sun and raise my heart rate. The good news is there are beautiful sunny days in winter. The bad news is these clear winter days are super cold! But if you have the right clothes and gear winter can be wonderful. Minneapolis is fantastic, enjoy! The state parks are a good way to find outdoor activities in the winter. The one here has all kinds of stuff going on during the winter, like birdwatching and midnight snowshoeing. Ours also rents out skis and snowshoes. And the best part is that most of the events are free if you have an annual parking pass. http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/3month.html?jsp=/templates/listing.jsp&k=stpk&nd=90&o=startdate 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 We could call it the great northern plains meet up, to cover everybody. :D Little Meet-Up on the Prairie? :P 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aelwydd Posted September 17, 2015 Author Share Posted September 17, 2015 Knitting is a fine hobby to have here. :) That's a good idea for slow days in the office! (I work FT, DH is a SAHD.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aelwydd Posted September 17, 2015 Author Share Posted September 17, 2015 The state parks are a good way to find outdoor activities in the winter. The one here has all kinds of stuff going on during the winter, like birdwatching and midnight snowshoeing. Ours also rents out skis and snowshoes. And the best part is that most of the events are free if you have an annual parking pass. http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/3month.html?jsp=/templates/listing.jsp&k=stpk&nd=90&o=startdate I want a bicycle now that I see everyone from age 3 to 93 rides around here. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawyer&Mom Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 I remember my first autumn in MN when I marched outside to ask why on earth the maintenance guy was watering the dead grass in the park.... Laying the foundation for the ice rink! I had no idea. Great fun watching the neighborhood kids skate in the winter. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aelwydd Posted September 17, 2015 Author Share Posted September 17, 2015 I remember my first autumn in MN when I marched outside to ask why on earth the maintenance guy was watering the dead grass in the park.... Laying the foundation for the ice rink! I had no idea. Great fun watching the neighborhood kids skate in the winter. Hey, I am stoked about getting to ice skate outdoors for the first time ever. In Dallas, I had very negative associations with the words "ice" and "cobblestone." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 You're not officially Minnesotan until you've made it through a winter. A real winter. Snow, blizzards, double-digit below zero temps. Have fun. :D I think the first winter can be fun. It's the subsequent autumns when you know what's coming next that are harder. :) We lived in St. Paul for many years and loved it. Especially the winters. The summers were brutal though--get a place with A/C if you can. I've never been so hot. Our customers used to get really cranky a week or two into a heat wave; we were in a neighborhood with all older houses that generally hadn't been updated yet. But the winters... Beautiful. So much sun. I hope you love it! :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 We live near Alexandria, MN, up in the west central part of the state. :) I sign dd up for a lot of community ed classes. They're fairly inexpensive and she meets a ton of kids that way. Most school districts in MN also let homeschooled kids participate in all the school extracurriculars, so you could look into that. You're down by the cities? Many of the museums down there have hs-specific stuff: https://www.smm.org/homeschool The MN Zoo is having Homeschool Day on October 6th, and a Homeschool Academy class for 9 - 12 year olds starting September 21st. http://mnzoo.org/education/schools-teachers/homeschool-families/ The Como Zoo has homeschool classes too. http://www.comozooconservatory.org/education/schools/home-school-classes/#/current-programs The way we've always met people is to just get out and do as many activities as possible. Be outgoing and don't be shy about asking people if they want to hang out sometime. Most of the people here are very nice. ;) Also don't be shy about contacting your local school and asking what resources they can offer you. Homeschooling is fairly normal here. You definitely don't have to hide your kid during school hours or anything like that. Oh, and do visit Duluth if you have the chance. It's a fantastic small city and the scenery is amazing. My son lives in Fergus Falls. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicentra Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Dicentra! Our music geek kiddos are pen pals right? We are going to be in Duluth Thanksgiving weekend tenatively. I went to college in Duluth for a year and we love going up there! There are, indeed! :) I'm assuming you mean your Thanksgiving and not our Thanksgiving. ;) I'm loving the idea of a Great Northern Prairie meet-up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeLovePassion Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 We were just up at Grand Portage State Park on the border, Dicentra. We could have waved to you. I agree the state parks are fantastic here. Our kids have been to 29 and 27 respectively. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadeOrchidSong Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Hey, I am stoked about getting to ice skate outdoors for the first time ever. In Dallas, I had very negative associations with the words "ice" and "cobblestone."We can meet at Longfellow Park for skating. We also go to Matthews Park, but Longfellow is nicer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 I remember my first autumn in MN when I marched outside to ask why on earth the maintenance guy was watering the dead grass in the park.... Laying the foundation for the ice rink! I had no idea. Great fun watching the neighborhood kids skate in the winter. Lol! Our main rink here is a huge duck pond/public garden that they turn into a skating rink in the winter. It's a beautiful place to skate. And I'd much rather skate on the ice in the winter than fish on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 I want a bicycle now that I see everyone from age 3 to 93 rides around here. You guys in the cities have a bike sharing program you can buy a membership for too, in case you haven't come across it yet. :) https://www.niceridemn.org/ I need to buy a new bike, too. Mine died a painful and untimely death last year and we're right on the place where the Central Lakes trail meets the Wobegone trail, so we do a lot of biking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Entropymama Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 I'm south of Minneapolis, too! I had no idea there so many Minnesotans on the boards. If there's a meet up, I'm IN! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellebelle Posted September 19, 2015 Share Posted September 19, 2015 I have been a lurker on the boards for many years, but recently moved home to Minnesota. I had no idea so many wtmers lived here! I found this page today that might be helpful: http://www.hsadventures.org/homeschool-groups. There's quite a few secular groups out there. Hope that helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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