Schooling, how serious does it need to be?

Since my blog is private to some readers, I decided to post this on here too:

I just read my good friend Becky's blog. She is the mother of 8 children and is a wonderful homeschool mom. I have had the privilege of watching her example. She has some great insights on this topic.
This topic has been heavy on my mind lately. Occasionally, I have friends, family, or acquaintances come to my door during "school hours". I know the look all too well. The "why aren't your kids at the table doing 'school work' look.
Does education have to be all that? Does it require homework, multiple choice and fill in the blanks? Just the other day, me and my kids enjoyed going for a walk down our road and played 'I Spy' with a twist: I would spy something, spell out the word and have them tell me what word it was I just spelled. It was fun!
I love watching my boys invent their own machines with scraps of wood and cardboard boxes, contraptions, and experiments in the kitchen. This is education in it's prime!
When I first began homeschooling I set it up just like public school complete with snack time, recess, and PE. I was very adamant about timing assignments and making my curriculum as rigorous as possible. I realized very quickly that this did NOT work. After some time on knees and much pondering on the matter, I realized that these were all the reasons why I decided not to send my child to the public schools. I was missing the mark completely! My first year of homeschooling was the greatest learning curb in my life! I realized very quickly that I wanted something more for my children and myself. I want a lifestyle of learning. I re-found this quote a little while ago:

" We're not trying to do "School at Home." We're trying to do homeschool. These are two entirely different propositions. We're not trying to replicate the time, style or content of the classroom. Rather we're trying to cultivate a lifestyle of learning in which learning takes place from morning until bedtime 7 days each week. The "formal" portion of each teaching day is just the tip of the iceburg. "
--Steve and Jane Lambert ( Five In A Row )

Here is a WONDERFUL article on homework called Kindergarten Cram. If you have a few minutes, it is a great article to read.