We just finishsed our first year. We have 2 boys in the 4th grade (well just finished).
I would suggest you check out
www.hslds.org to find the laws in your state to start off with. Crosswalk.com has a homeschooling forum that I frequent (though I seldom post....like anywhere, I just don't have the time).
With this being my first year, I may not be of much kelp, but I can tell you some things that I've learned so far.
1. HSing doesn't have to be like public school (or any 'school like' institution). We have 365 days of the year to do school, unlike PS (public school). We also have 24 hours a day we can do it so we can do it at any time.
2. Learning doesn't have to come from text books. Especially for science and history. We will continue next year to use text/workbooks for language arts, math, and reading, but will be doing more 'real life' S and H. Some of my friends don't use text books/workbooks at all, but have their children do a lot of literature based learning and 'living books' learning (Learning Language Arts through Literature, Son Light, and WinterPromise are some curriculum that do this). There are so many ways to HS. Being my first year and all, I needed a very structured program to tell me what to do. I still think I will need structure for next year, but I'm just getting to the place where I can relax a little. Oh, funny thing, when we first started in August a huge local water park had a homeschool day. We went and I just counted it as PE, life skills, math (how long could they hold their breath under water lol), and health. That was as relaxed as I got until about February.
3. You DON'T have to be very smart to HS, nor do you have to be extrememy organized. If you are not a very organized person, that's why you can buy a curriculum that will tell you what to do and when to do it. As you work through it, you can tweak it to meet your needs. Like if it says to do 20 problems and your child can do them already, just skip them and go on to the next lesson. And if you don't know how to do the lesson, the teacher's book tells you how it's done. There are also many moms on the net that can help out.
4. I loved my co-op we joined. We went one day a week, and the kids got to do things I couldn't do with them, like art (sketching). They also got to meet other HSed kids and met friends. They aren't absolutly necessary, but they do help in developing social interaction between kids the same age. With a co-op, the one you would choose will most likely have the same values you choose for your child.
5. Oh, and one of the biggest things I learned, is that homeschool curriculum fairs are huge and confusing. If you do go to one, take a pencil and notebook and take notes on what you may like. Go home and research it on line. A great site to visit for this is called homeschoolreviews.com. DON'T spend a lot of money at one time. There are tons of used book sales that can save a ton of money.
6. Oh, and I forgot, the cost of a curriculum doesn't constitute it's greatness. None will be perfect for every child.
There is so much more that I could share with you. If you'd like to PM me I could contact you by phone and talk one on one.
Anyway, I wish you all the best.
Jennifer
BTW, Busybee and her DH homeschooled up til this past year. If they don't respondto your post, I'd PM them to see what they have to offer. EDIT: she posted while I was posting. LOL!
Ok guys, talk to me about home schooling... 
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