My child is a completely different child homeschooling too. I didn't even realize how bitter he was before until he was out of school for a while.
I totally understand about the social piece. A few things have really made it work for our extroverted 8 year old. 1 - he has a 4 year old sister at home. 2 - by some karmic intervention, the perfect children moved in across the street last summer. GT, well behaved and all. They literally cannot stay apart from each other. 3 - we found a homeschooling family 2 blocks from us. 4 - lots of regular out of the house activities, including a co-op.
I would highly recommend looking at the homeschooling opportunities in your area and maybe activities your son has never had time for, but is interested in. My son will happily play with kids of all ages and abilities luckily. Although our co-op is GT specific and has been a great fit. Make a goal for yourself to find him several social opportunities/outings a week. If he has a particular friend he really misses, you could try setting up regular playdates. Especially until he can really get his feet into your local homeschooling community (sometimes that can be easier in the fall). And I do hope you have one! I know people who drive over an hour 1 way for our co-op because there aren't welcoming homeschooling opportunities close to them unless you're doing it for religious reasons.
