Just ducking out for a spot of sunshine

We're heading north for a couple of weeks, for family fun and 'hopefully' sun.

No, not to the Maldives, but somewhere just as delightful ... photos upon my return, I promise!

I have written a few draft articles lately, but none are ready to post yet, so they'll have to wait.  I don't think the blogosphere will crumble due to my short absence :)

Stay well.  I look forward to catching up when we return.

Overcoming Winteritis

I haven't published a post for ages, nor commented much lately.  Sorry for being distant.  I've been feeling awkward and illiterate.  When I speak or write, often I can't express what I'm thinking.  I'm restless and overwhelmed and uncomfortable and self conscious.  It's just Winteritis again.  It takes all my energy to resist hibernating.  I feel deeply the pain of people close to me who are really hurting at the moment.  I'm sick and cold and tired and sad, and for no good reason ... I have exactly the life I want (minus tropical climate and ocean views), and everything to be glad about!

However, I refuse to let the drop in temperature rob me entirely of my joy!
So, to get the ball rolling again ... some of the wonderful things happening here are:

*  Soccer, Gymnastics, Princess Ballet, Woodwork lessons, Sunday School & lots of play dates and family visits.  A few birthdays and holidays coming up this month, too!


*  A lovely, leisurely book tour using "The Australian Book Traveller".  It's taken us nearly 2 terms just to do 'The Australia Book' and 'Wombat Stew', because we keep adding interesting books, taking time out to follow tangents and research various aspects of Australian geography and wildlife.  We're VERY excited to be moving on to the next stage of the trip this week (partly because the title includes the word 'spear')!


*  Bible stories, Character studies, and a steady stream of books from the library and the postie keep us snuggled up often and give us lots of fresh ideas to think and dream about.


*  I'm getting more organised in the kitchen, putting a weekly menu on the fridge ... stops me worrying about what to cook each day and whether I have the ingredients.  Dinners are planned but flexible, and I write ideas for lunches, snacks and fruit, to remind me what's available.  It also means I shop less often and therefore spend less.  I shop at home first, and use what we have, which means less wastage too.


*  Kids literacy ... both children are taking off and it's so exciting to see!  They're excited too, keen for any hints I can give them, and moving quickly through Reading Eggs.  They're more confidently having a go at slightly more independent writing.  I must tell you about their folders and ladders sometime.


*  I have more peace about the balance of work & leisure, planned & spontaneous, challenging & easy ... and finally a plan I'm happy with for the next year or two in regards to the planned curriculum side of things (always flexible of course, but it is a relief to stop searching for a while).  


*  Pete has built most of the shelves I designed for the dining/ sun/ everything room, and it's immensely satisfying to organise and find homes for our most frequently used resources.  Some smaller units and a desk are still in progress which will bring it all together, and then I have to learn how to paint a kind of lime wash finish.  Photos in a month or two :)


I'm thankful for the safe, peaceful family I've been blessed with.  I'm glad that my peace comes from the Lord, and I'm not at the mercy of my emotions and the troubles and choices of other people.  I'm encouraged by my online friends, many of whom home school, who generously share their ideas and lives, and by doing so provide a lovely, supportive community.

Thanks for sticking by me through my quiet times!

Delightful days

We're really appreciating the freedom we have, having had a taste of being part of the system.  What a wonderful life!  


I always enjoy reading 'typical day' messages written by home ed. families.    They are hard to write and impossible to keep short!  A few friends have recently had a go at it, trying to share the essence of their days, and I felt it was about time for me to jot down what we've been up to.  We have very few typical days, so my version is more of an overview of some of our usual activities ...

Elijah's recent interests have included:

-  counting his money to compare it to the price of whatever he is saving for ... last month, after 2 years saving, he reached his goal and bought an electric drum kit.  He also likes being the banker in Monopoly.

-  playing instruments ... he's never had a lesson, but does amazing things with drums and guitar (playing with both since a toddler), adding words to songs he knows or makes up.

  

-  'reading' an endless supply of non fiction history books, mostly about Knights, sometimes a book about Vikings or Warriors, the Roman Army or other parts of history.  Mostly I think he studies the pictures and labelled diagrams.  He looks at books for several hours most days, on top of our time spent reading together, and is eager to be able to read more for himself so that he won't have to rely on me so much (distracted by cleaning, cooking, phone and computer too often). 

-  Superdad helped Elijah make a bow and arrow from materials in the bush across the road (and string).

-  writing in his self-started 'future book' ... basically planning fun jobs for when he grows up.  So far he has designed a paintball army game centre (asked me to help find camo clothing designs  for the teams on the internet), and a Knights Land (role play for grown ups) with lists of horses, equipment, costumes etc. and a birds eye map of the place.  Elijah usually asks me to write it for him, either on the whiteboard to copy, or in his book to trace.

-  writing in his diary ... self-directed but often asks us to spell words.

-  building a castle using a kit with plaster of paris bricks he makes using a rubber mould.  Also still spends a lot of time building and destroying lego models, and talking to us about what he has made ... the talk continues even without an audience.

-  watching science, geography and history shows on ABC 1 and the internet (Bill Nye), and DVDs such as Leyland Brothers, Grainger's World Australia, and other nature shows either on TV or from the library.

Jasmine loves:

-  colouring in - from a box of colouring books (fairies, Princesses, Bible stories) and sometimes pictures we search the internet to find together (eg. she'll say "I want a water fairy).

-  craft - mosaic sticker pictures (from a few sets rec'd as gifts), bead necklaces and bracelets

-  books about fairies and princesses (mostly Rainbow Magic and The Tiara Club series) ... we read her 3-4 chapter books most weeks, plus picture books she owns (like a Tinkerbell series) and borrows.  As a welcome change from the predictable stories, we found a delightful library book called 'Fairy Foals' which both kids are enjoying ... very arty and imaginative.  

-  writing - a variety of handwriting books, exercise books for sentences and stories, and her own private journals, some locked.

-  Reading Eggs - we had a break for a few months, and Jasmine is glad I renewed our subscription.  The break was good as she is now ready for the lessons she had reached but was finding too hard last year.  100% on today's Map 6 quiz!

-  other computer activities - Targeting Maths Lab 1 CD-rom, Tux Paint, various games we find online, and just plain typing.

-  listening to music and singing along with toy microphone - Delta Goodrem, Jack Johnson, lots of Sunday school CDs, Australian songs etc.

-  playing her guitar or violin ... no lessons, just self-taught and improvised.  I LOVE Jasmine's voice and her way of making up songs as she goes, but I have to be careful as she doesn't like to be observed or adored TOO much!

-  games (like Monopoly Jnr, Mastermind, Jenga, snap, Uno) and puzzles, dolls of many kinds, Dora lego,  listening to stories.

-  people ... always making plans to see her friends, but happiest when it's not in a large group :)

Activities I've strewn/ inspired/ suggested, which have been very well received this year:

-  a new set of watercolours and art book each.  The kids use these freely several times a week and it's always a delight to watch them at work.

-  Australian studies - this mostly involves reading to the children, loosely guided by The Australian Book Traveller.  So far we've read 2/3 of The Australia Book (Eve Pownell), and it will be a slow but deeper journey, as I keep finding extra wonderful books to enjoy together; like "Lost" a survival story about 3 children lost in the Australian bush in 1860's.  Each chapter is followed by (genuinely) interesting facts about life back then, such as toys, homes, food, clothing.  The kids (especially E.) are very interested in Captain Cook's journey, early white settlement and how it impacted on Aborigines, gold rush, explorers, bushrangers etc. and how things have changed over time.

-  most days we read together a chapter from a Bible story book (currently from a huge, old but well written, 10 book series by Arthur Maxwell)

-  we're using phonics (mostly LEM, a bit of Jolly Phonics and Reading Eggs) to fill in gaps to help both kids read and write more confidently.  We use a variety of methods to keep us all interested!  Elijah is also working through Sounds Right, Read, Write Book 3.  

-  soon Elijah will start in the local soccer team, and Jasmine will again do home ed. gymnastics.

-  Nature Studies ... we've read a little of The Wonderland of Nature, complemented by Bill Nye science clips & Magic School Bus books/ shows, and serendipitous sightings around home.  Mostly though, we're on an Australian animals tangent.

-  most of our maths is invisible, just part of life and fun, but they both do a small amount of textbook or practical work to ensure me that their skills are recorded and progressing.  This is negotiable, in terms of when and where, what (limiting the boring, pointless or tedious), how (practical, visual eg. books and DVD's, answers for textbooks can be oral, written or scribed by me) and we're open to creative interpretation and wandering off the track onto more interesting tangents. 

And ...

The kids also spend heaps of time on the trampoline, bikes, at various pools and beaches, visiting friends and relatives, building cubbies with furniture and cushions and sheets.  They love cooking and watching cooking shows, helping Pete in the yard, sometimes doing jobs inside to be helpful or sometimes for extra money.

Recent requests of things the kids WANT to do, some of which I'll try to arrange in coming months:

-  woodwork (hooray, classes start next week!!)

-  sewing ... with my machine, needlework and handmade toys ... mostly inspired by pictures they've seen in books

-  ice skating (Jasmine) and ice hockey (Elijah) ... perhaps a one off visit will have to do for now, as they also want:

-  tennis lessons (Jasmine), violin lessons (Jasmine) and drum lessons (Elijah)

-  Elijah wants to make real medieval and Roman empire spears, shields, costumes, chain-mail suits, helmets, swords etc, preferably after researching the real materials they should be made from!

-  the kids and I want to learn more about Bush Tucker, and edible plants we might find in real life.

Our weeks are full of fun and learning, only a fraction of it planned.  So far today we've had a productive morning of reading, writing and spelling.  Oh, and I did housework while the kids watched school TV shows like Science Clips and Backyard Science.  We went to the shops, then decided to watch a Barbie Rapunzel DVD during lunch.  Soon we'll read together, play outside and sort out clothes which should go to the op shop.  I have to go out again later, while Elijah and Jasmine play or go swimming with Daddy.  The kids asked to do maths after dinner today.  It seems we all like to mix up the expected order of things a little!

If the shoe fits ...

These, we shall call Wammy Shoes, aren't they fun and frivolous!?
Jasmine made them all by herself, and they match her recent 'fairy' phase just beautifully!

Wammy is a wonderful construction set, which I hadn't heard of until Jasmine received a box as a gift.  It is so versatile and fun to use, and I find making a Wammy ball quite satisfying too!

_______________________________

These are the shoes Jasmine will be wearing in a couple of weeks.  No prizes for guessing where she'll wear them!  She's incredibly excited about venturing out in them.

I'm keeping Jasi's home ed. things handy as usual, for her to use after school, and so that she knows her place here is ready when she is.  If she comes back to home schooling after a term, we'll consider Kindergarten her first excursion, adventure or 'subject' for the year.  Jasmine will probably enjoy all the routines, crafts, and pleasing the teacher.  I'm glad she is self-motivated and choosing to step out of her comfort zone.  She is a study in contrasts, easily switching between confidence and clinginess, competence and neediness.  

It will be interesting to see how things unfold this year!  I'm nervous about how Jasi will manage her physical sensitivities and fussiness, which in familiar company can lead to meltdowns.  I have to trust the Lord to guide us in supporting her, trust the staff to treat her with care, and trust Jasmine to handle the challenges she faces.

_______________________________

Elijah is happy with the plan, aside from the early morning walks to take Jasmine to school.  I'll write about our adjusted home ed. plans another day.  He says "If she goes to school I'll be able to continue my research without Jasmine's constant interruptions."  Yikes, not at all self centred!  He told my mum that he and I will be able to go out to restaurants for lunch, because he likes seafood and Jasmine isn't so adventurous with food.  Hmmm, perhaps a sushi cafe, Sunshine!

Christmas greetings

This year my clever Mum made a beautiful advent calendar for us.  It's a quilted wall hanging, over a metre tall, and is so lovely!  Each pocket contains 2 treasures, such as ornaments, stickers, chocolate or candy canes.  The children take turns unbuttoning a pocket each day.  Each button is special too, I love the details.  Elijah opens the even numbers (as he's 6), Jasi the odds (as she's 5).

Don't get me started on all the maths the children have done with this calendar, just as they chat ... it's brilliant!

We will be away on and off for the next few weeks.  We'll have Christmas morning at home, just us four.  Lunch with Pete's huge family, afternoon and dinner at Mum's with our growing family, then traveling early on Boxing Day, stopping for lunch with my Dad, E. (his wife), Popo (E.'s mum) & my Nanna (the kids call her Oma) on our way south.  Nanna will be giving the children custom made clogs, to paint and enjoy their Dutch heritage.  I'll post some pics when we decorate them.

We're very excited about Christmas camp, where we'll feast on fellowship, daily prayer meetings, a study of Hebrews 6, hear lots of testimonies of what the Lord has been doing in people's lives.  I guess we'll also enjoy the catered meals, living in a bunk cabin, watching the kids play freely with their friends, and walking down to the beach each day.  It's a hard life!

So far, we're half packed.  I've borrowed a stack of audio books from the library, to help the time in the car pass peacefully and pleasurably.  The kids will also each receive a new CD before the trip, to add to the music collection.  I can't wait to get going and start listening!!

Pete starts his holidays tomorrow afternoon, and I will take a break from the computer whilst he's with us (for three weeks, hooray!!)  Well, I might drop in occasionally.

Wishing you all ....

*  A delightful Christmas, hopefully spent with the people you love.

*  Safe travels ... and for some lucky stars, happy cruising and flying!!

*  A very happy, healthy, fun year in 2011.  

Love, 

Vanessa

Home ed. with younger siblings

A few people have recently asked for tips about how to get things started, and how to occupy younger siblings.  

Here's some encouragement and tips from my experiences so far:

Tot Trays  .... for the little ones, keen to do their own 'school work', there are a lot of good ideas in the pages of this site which I adapted to our needs. Unit studies, lap books, sharing lots of books and fun maths also worked well.  


My youngest child was keen to 'play schools', which helped immensely when I wanted to transition the kids back to a routine with more structure after a year of mostly unschooling. Jasi's enthusiasm pulled in her big brother, who by 5 was ready for a break from 'work' and wanted to play non stop! I did question all of my assumptions and expectations, and gave him abundant free time. I chose less structured teaching methods to build his basic skills during that phase. Elijah's bouts of negativity dissolved as there was no pressure, and whilst it wasn't always easy to see 'progress' at the time, now we're entering a new phase again, and seeing the fruit of the learning which did occur.


We now have a timetable and routine as a guide, which helps, but is INCREDIBLY flexible. I won't share it here as there's never a day or week when we actually do what it says!
Here are some of the things we do:


... As a fun way to draw the kids in and grab their attention and set a positive tone, we gather for a quick introduction, interesting and full of tasty, quick bites. For example, we pray (briefly, having usually prayed in bed earlier) and read a Bible story or scripture verse, use the whiteboard for things such as date, sentence about the day or other idea, sometimes weather, number patterns, brainteasers, interesting words, quick phonics reviews, sometimes a scripture, or a list of some kind (the kids have turns helping write). In my board writing I use words they can read as well as extend and challenge them in a fun and supportive context. 


... Some days we skip the intro. Other days that is ALL we do formally, and the rest is through shared reading, experiences, spontaneous opportunities and rabbit trails.  Natural learning defines so much of what young children are inclined to do, given free time, resources and a willing audience to share their discoveries with. Children are ever changing and amazing!


... With 5-6 yr olds, our sit-down bookwork has usually been only 1/2 to 1 hour a day, low pressure and more about basic skills, habits and attitude. Sometimes I will say what's to be done and why. Other times I will present two options and let the children choose, or the children may suggest a book they'd prefer to do.  If the children ask to do extra, I let them. They sometimes like to read to us or do writing before bed.


... Often "life" changes the routine. We take many opportunities for excursions, play dates, sports and family visits. No worries, as children are always learning, I've learned to see the balance and not worry about missed 'lessons'. Illness gets in the way more often than I'd like. I don't try to force sick kids or myself to work, it's usually a case of one down, all down, and we fall back on natural learning, educational DVDs and read alouds.  


... Lots of hands on activities, shared books, games, variety of resources handy for the kids to select from, or I will choose something to do together.  


... We use the computer as a tool for providing opportunities for 1-1 learning, with the kids free to choose between about 5 options (eg. at times this has included typing in Word, Reading Eggs, Targeting Maths CD-roms, Smart Kiddies, Tux Paint, Mathletics or Skwirk). In theory I can set one child up on the Mac, then spend time with the other. In reality, this is sometimes perfect, sometimes painful, when the one on the computer needs help and whilst I do that, the other gets sidetracked.  

That's part of what it looks like here, with 2 children who are 12 months and 10 days apart. I try to keep it positive, understand each child, and go with the flow.
 
Someone on AussieHomeschool wrote "Sometimes it is very hard to get them to settle down, especially when there is more important stuff happening (nice weather, racing bikes in the yard, scrounging in the garden for slugs etc) and I have been fairly gentle on this, because of their ages and stages (that is also how they learn.)"


My response to this is, I totally understand, especially about ants in pants. We're still there! I try to understand and respect what's important to the children, and work with them rather than fight the tide. I love seeing the children take charge of their own learning, and watch great things unfold when they decide to 'give speeches' or role play occupations. Sure, it's not always so tidy, as they also choose to be cooks with garden litter, wash the floor with a tea towel, or hijack all the chairs and cushions for a bus ... but that's part of childhood.  


Next year my plan includes "The Australian Book Traveller" by Michelle Morrow (her website is www.downunderlit.com), "The Wonderland of Nature", by Nuri Mass (also from Michelle), additional eclectic science, LEM phonics, eclectic Maths (using what I have on hand) and lots of other fun!  

Canberra ... with activity links!

I was quick to put up our snow report following our holiday, but what did we do for the rest of that week?
Here's a glimpse ...


For a few nights we stayed with my Aunty and Uncle, where the children enjoyed playing with resident terriers Snowy and Sally.  One evening we enjoyed a family dinner with my cousins.  Elijah discovered another food he likes ... caviar and smoked salmon blini (small pancakes).  This adds to his favourite foods list of bbq baby octopus and homemade sushi (Makizushi 巻寿司), a definite seafood theme which has prevailed for a couple of years.  I LOVED being in a home with central ducted heating, even if it was sometimes a little too warm ... it was ironic to be warmer in Canberra than I had been for months, the reason being that we only use the gas heater or air conditioner for a few hours a day in the middle of winter.  Frugal and enviro-conscious intentions only!


Of the outings, QUESTACON was our family favourite.  There is so much to do and see, touch, experience, learn, wonder about ... the kids had fun in Mini-Q, the 0-6 yrs play zone.  Mini-Q featured an impressive water play setup which I'd love to replicate if I had a spare sunroom.  We loved watching a very clever live science show, "Invasion from the Planet Fwah" The BOC liquid nitrogen show.  We didn't try free-fall (a vertical slide), but I did go on the earthquake simulator (it was ok) and Track Attack, a rollercoaster simulator (awesome, even if I'm biased because my Uncle built it).  Jasmine was very upset (like totally traumatised) by the pretend guilotine and the accompanying sound effect ... we saw it as we explored a sideshow exhibit, then every time she heard it operating (even from other rooms) she would shake with fear.  In the end she practically dragged me through the exit doors, but thankfully didn't mention it again once home.  How I wish we lived closer and could go to Questacon more often (though at least we've seen their traveling exhibits when they've been in town).  See what you think of Questacon online, there are lots of activities (for kids and big kids like us!) to try, at  Perception Deception and ScIslands.


We drove on the public road to a lookout inside Duntroon.  A bunch of military trainees were hauling heavy packs up the huge mountain.  I was more interested in the immediate surroundings than the view of Australia's capital city, as it gave me a glimpse of the life path I didn't commence at age 17 (of the two cadetships I applied for, I accepted the offer from BHP Information Technology, and thankfully missed out on becoming an air traffic controller with ADFA at the last stage of selection ... their wise psychs must have realised I wasn't made of tough enough stuff) ... whew!  


Cockington Green minitature village was a big hit with the kids, and we walked around for hours listening to them say, "Look at that!" as they noticed every little detail.  In the International display Elijah wanted to quiz me about every country and type of building ... I wished I was a walking encyclopedia.  If we go again I'll see if we can have a guided tour with an expert!


Our next venue was the National Dinosaur Museum, which was a bit of a fizzer.  Perhaps on it's own we would have seen it in a more exciting light.  It was kind of small, and the tired children just wanted to zoom around, buy unnecessary 'stuff' in the gift shop, and go out for icecreams.  Elijah and I preferred the Australian Museum in Sydney which we visited last year.


We saw Parliament House from various angles as we drove to other places, but will save the proper tour until the children are a bit older.  They are pretty interested in government and followed the recent election with us.  They talk about Kevin Rudd, and weave Julia Gillard into their play conversations in amusing ways (such as once, she was telling Barbie she would pass a law to allow boys to go to hairdressers ... is that a hint of discontent about MY home salon skills?)


The Australian War Memorial was the place Elijah MOST wanted to see, but we didn't get there.  Time just ran out and we decided it would best be left until next time.  Until then we can use their Kids HQ website to learn more about our history.

Snow Holiday

One big highlight of our holiday last week was a quick trip to the snow.  The children have looked at snowy travel brochures, stories, weather reports and websites for a couple of years, so this was a much anticipated experience!

We stayed at a resort in Jindabyne, and drove into the Kosciuszko National Park twice, to the snow fields at Perisher.  Despite being the end of the season, there was plenty of white stuff to play in ... just a little icy and slushy at the base of the hill.  The roads were clear and dry, not crowded, which made the trip a 20 minute breeze compared to Pete's tales of 3 hour bumpy rides using chains in a crawling stream of traffic.

The children built snowmen.  Elijah threw snowballs for us all to dodge.
Elijah's snowman video on YouTube

Pete tirelessly dragged the toboggan up the mountain, again and again, sometimes with Jasmine onboard!
Jasmine's toboggan ride on YouTube

I haven't skied before, and I'm not sure whether I want to!  Pete thinks I'll be a natural at it but I'm scared of the sliding sensation and the momentum ... so we'll see.  The toboggan was incredibly fun!  In a year or two we might all return for a week, for the whole kit and kaboodle of ski hire and lessons.  This will thrill Jasmine, who was begging to join the snow school we saw.

Driving through the country between Canberra and Jindabyne was delightful for me (aside from the good old 'are we there yet?' chorus ... partly alleviated with new CD's and audio books from the library).  So much about the countryside really tugs at my heart and makes me reflective and dreamy.  And I loved being on an unfamiliar road and seeing new sights, like these rock formations in the middle of sheep paddocks!!

It probably doesn't look that exciting, but I find rocks and farms aesthetically appealing and inspiring.  While Pete drove, I jotted down verses of country ballads which I might sing, if I was that way inclined!

It was warm enough for us to set up camp in the carpark for the day, right near the snowplay area ... a convenient spot for dressing, snacking and resting.  After an active morning, Jasmine and I stayed in the car the second afternoon, as she was tired and had enough of being wet.  We played connect four, and she even did some school work in the car!  That wasn't my intention when I threw in a few workbooks for the trip (mostly out of guilt about our recent month off "school"), but Jasmine seemed relieved to do something familiar, and I was glad as she stopped complaining.

Meanwhile, the boys were on the mountain and Elijah became fearless on the toboggan!

Out of touch

I have been out of touch lately for a few reasons.

Supportive ... of Pete and his family, missing his Dad and learning what life's like without him.  I feel it too, but seem to process emotions in waves.  It seems not real, yet also normal.  The peace of the Lord has helped us all so much.

Sickness interrupted my Spring-cleaning spree ... a rotten sore throat, head, cough, sinus infection, glandular thing.  Mostly Elijah and I, but Jasi has been snuffly and needy too so it's been full on.  I should have been in bed, and have had naps when I could, but have been busy nursing and nurturing.  Happier that way anyway!

Away on holiday ... starting today.  We're getting better, I hope!!!!  We've delayed for a day to try and be germ free and energetic.  So we're hitting the road for the national capital to see the sights, and spend a couple of days playing in snow!

Offline ... our connection is dodgy, dropping in and out.  That's ok because words have been elusive.  I've also been reading some inspiring books, which I'll write about when we get home.  I have written comments for your blogs but don't always get around to posting them because my inner editor is speaking too loudly and needs a tune up!!  Just know I care.

So ... I'm going to hit "publish" now, pack a few more things and head off into a fun family adventure.  See you when we return!

Lost for words

It's been a tough week.  There is a time for every purpose under heaven, and this has been a painful time.

My wonderful dad-in-law died last week.  He was in hospital with chest pain, and Pete thought he'd be out within a few days.  Perhaps he'd get another stent put in.  He survived a heart attack 20 years ago, so has had a lot of fantastic "extra" years to spend with his big family, doing the things he loved.  He was talking to a nurse about the next adventure he had planned (a trip somewhere with his beloved wife Val) when he went suddenly.  We're glad he didn't suffer for long.

The children understand that they won't see Grandpa again.  Elijah's first comment was that he won't be able to go fishing with Grandpa, when he gets his first rod at Christmas.  Jasmine found her twin lavender bears, to give to Grandma to help her feel better.  She says the one a few millimetres taller is Grandpa, the short one is Grandma.  Their understanding of death is calm, logical, innocent and faithful.

Last week, time stood still in some ways.  But we carried on with activities like FBI, gymnastics, playdate, housemeeting (church home-group), a birthday party, and I helped Pete for his turn teaching Sunday school.  The kids have kept us moving and positive, when we could have just curled up.  Pete has dealt with it in his own quiet way, and I've been there with all the hugs he needs.  The Lord has held us up through the emotional and mental pain of loosing someone so special.

Words have been hard to find.  Mostly, I just physically hurt for the people I see hurting around me.  Max's children, grandkids, his best mate.  My thoughts swirl, peaceful but persistent until my head hurts.  Even in 'normal' times I struggle with the temporary nature of our existence, the paradox of a purposeful yet vaporous, vain life.  As always, I'm trying not to dwell on unanswerable questions which could easily consume my mind and time.

But life goes on and is a gift from the Lord, which I'm thankful for, and I will follow where He leads.  The sun is shining, the breeze is warmer than last week.  Pete is planning our upcoming snow holiday and discussing whether we'll also go camping in the bush or near the beach before summer, or both.  I'm reading Jessica Watson's book about her amazing journey, marveling at her clarity and determination, and wondering what goals my children, Pete and I, will set for ourselves in the future.

I spoke to my own Dad last night.  He too had a heart attack a few years ago.  When it started he asked a workmate to drive him to hospital, and calmly walked in.  He didn't tell us about it until a week later, after he'd recovered (or perhaps we found out by accident, I forget) ... no need to worry anyone he said!  He's good now but still working too hard.  I'm glad for his friendship, and a zillion life lessons and skills he's shared with me over the years.

As usual this week, I've read blogs, familiar and new, which have been as always, inspiring, touching and interesting.  I just haven't commented much.  I joined facebook, for the second time, and will probably, again, close my account before I get caught up in the vortex.  I'm just not good at small-talk or brief bytes of conversation, it makes me nervous.  I can see why many people like it though.

For someone "lost for words" I've written a lot.  Hope I haven't rambled.

Time to get dressed and play in the sun.
See you again soon!

Homeschool Wordle

I created this at www.wordle.net, to print and use in our homeschool journal after seeing the idea here and here .  If you click on the Wordle it will open in the Wordle gallery to view at a more readable size!

It was easy and a LOT of fun!

I just typed lots of words in a basic text editor (Stickies) then pasted my list into Wordle, played with the style and saved it in the public gallery.  Voila!

I am hoping it will print well ... when I tried to resize it for this page, the text became too foggy.

Have a go, and add a link to your Wordle in my comments!


P.S.  If you use Mac OS X as I do, refer to FAQs for information about how to print your Wordle.

Home and Healthy

Finally, we're almost all better!! I'm the one dragging the line, but after a day in bed yesterday my cough has eased. My ribs feel broken but I'm so much better and SO glad to say that! Thanks for the well-wishes.  


While Jasmine was away, Elijah was content and happy to do his own thing. He was a different kid ... actually he was like the one year old we had just before Jasmine was born. Happy to play with lego for hours, sit around and read or watch movies. On Friday he was more restless and wanted me to do things with him a lot, but also kindly helped me with tidying up.  


And on Friday night we picked up Jasi, HOORAY!! She had a great time, and enjoyed telling us all about it. The Butterfly house and maze, Big Banana, movies, cafes, beach ... and she loved giving us little things she'd lovingly chosen and brought home for us, like some plastic butterflies she painted colourfully, one for each of us.  


Since Jasmine came home it's been one big play-a-thon for the two kids. They're SO happy to be back together. They're industrious, boisterous, messy, as noisy as baby elephants and practically oblivious to us grown-ups except when it suits them ... in other words we're back to normal life! And LOVING it!

Quiet as a mouse ...

It's been a quiet week at my place.  No running, squealing, screaming, shouting, jumping, fighting, wrestling and wiggling.  And it was meant to be even quieter!

THE REASON
The kids and I were planning to go away with my Mum, for a few days holiday up the coast at my brother's place.  Pete would be working, and coming home to an empty house and lovingly frozen dinners to reheat.  (Note:  Pete can cook, and often cooks delicious meals, but I thought ready meals would make him feel special while he was missing us)

But Elijah got sick.  Well sicker I should say, as we'd all been taking turns with sore throats, aches and pains.  Elijah took longer to respond, and clearly still wasn't well enough to travel.  Even driving to the Chemist, he was complaining about aches and pains.  My week or two of sore throat and head also intensified.  With a cough, fever and aching all over, I wasn't fit to be anywhere but home.  Our holiday plans were sabotaged.

Jasmine on the other hand, had a bad ear infection a week and a half earlier, but bounced back quickly once she started antibiotics.  So whilst we were all laid low Jasi was bouncing around again, fighting fit, looking for action!!

THE ADVENTUROUS ONE
As a result of these circumstances, our little girl went away, on her longest holiday without us, and more significantly, without Elijah.  Was she reluctant to go?  Were we filled with trepidation and fear at letting her go?

Not a bit!!  She helped load Mum's car and couldn't wait to leave.  We know Mum and Joe are totally wonderful with our kids, so there was no reason for us to worry ... just to be happy for them, and pray that they travel safely and have a wonderful time.

We did wonder if Jasi would be lost her best buddy Elijah to play with.  There was a chance, Pete suggested, she might miss us and cry a bit.  Apparently not.  She made herself right at home as soon as they arrived, and for the first few days didn't care to interrupt her colouring in or bath to talk to us on the phone.

Last night our Princess finally spoke to us on the phone.  She sounded very distant, like she was tolerating our need to hear her voice, as she told us about the places they'd been and the fun they had.  I'm sure it was just the rare and unusual experience of talking to Jasmine on the phone, but I wonder what she's feeling.

ANALYSIS
I've never been one to really MISS people, not as a habit anyway.  When I moved away from home for Uni, I felt guilty about that, because I was supposed to be home sick.  It took me many years to realise I'm just different in that way.  I don't think I NEED to be away from people to love and appreciate them ...  but when I have that space to breathe, it renews my energy so I can be more devoted.  I like seeing people after some time away, and having interesting things to talk about.  I deeply love and admire my family - immediate and extended, big and widespread - they are seriously the kindest, loveliest people I know, and I couldn't choose anyone better to be related to.  Like normal people, I do have times when I crave to be with certain people, just want to be near them and comfortable in our familiarity.  But I don't MISS people who are still alive, it's more like I look forward to seeing them again.

My point is, we all experience relationships and time apart in different ways.  I understand and accept Jasmine's hot and cold, detached way of loving me.  In contrast to her independence, she also expresses her love and neediness often, in exuberant, subtle and special ways.  When Jasi is here (which she almost always is) she is demanding, caring, affectionate and talkative (these words are severe understatements, though people outside our home rarely believe it!)  It's a fine line though ... if I listen to her at the wrong moment, or look too long, she'll stomp her foot and huff and puff, as if to say 'leave me alone!'  I wonder ... is this, in part, what having a child with autism or aspergers is like?

In a beautiful photo of Jasi and I, framed on the dining room wall, I can actually see this puzzle.  I am holding Jasmine, she's about 3 yrs old.  I am facing her, about to kiss her cheek;  her arms are around me comfortably, but she is looking away, nonchalant and self composed.  It's an interesting study of our relationship.  That we love each other is clear beyond a doubt, but it's a push and pull kind of balance!

MEANWHILE BACK AT THE RANCH
As for the QUIET home we've had ... it's been good to be able to rest.  I'm still not well, but maybe it's just God's way of slowing me down.  I hadn't intended to have 'school holidays' as such, like most people currently are, because we had such a disjointed few months.  But we've had no choice.

Elijah and I have watched a lot of cartoons and DVDs, he has played contentedly by himself, and with me ... chess, toy soldiers, lego.  Elijah spent hours yesterday cutting cardboard and making a little knight, which I helped him fasten with split pins and sticky tape.  We went to the movies and saw Toy Story 3, which I thought Jasmine wouldn't like (since she hates noise and is easily scared) ... I was astonished when she told me that she also went to see that movie yesterday!!!!

With Pete we drove up to the beach cliffs to look for whales (and saw one, though it was very distant, so it's lucky we had my Dad's trusty old binoculars).  While Elijah played and lay around watching TV, recovering, I sorted out mine and Jasmine's wardrobes (easily finding 8 bags for the Op Shop and one for a friend, and we still have way too much).  I organised my notes and games for next week's FBI, all about Patterns in nature, art and maths.  I spent a day writing the previous blog post.  Read 3 novels.  Printed odds and ends for the upcoming term of home schooling.  Dreamed about doing so much more housework than the bare minimum I managed.  Imagined getting all my papers in order for home ed. registration, but slept instead.

HOMECOMING

Today Mum and Jasmine are driving home.  We'll meet them at Mum's around dinner time.  It'll be lovely to see my little girl again, though I don't have high expectations for our reunion ... Jasi doesn't usually seem pleased to see us when we pick up the kids after sleepovers at Mum's, and clearly wishes they could stay for longer.  This time she has stayed away longer, 3 nights ... I wonder if it seemed long enough for her?  

I'm sure she'll be glad to see Elijah.  There may be tantrums, rejections and silences (directed at us, and especially me).  However Jasi acts towards me, I won't hold it against her.  She is very much her own SELF, and I admire that.  She feels what she feels, and will soon be back to her usual energetic, intelligent, precious and playful self!

What Unschooling and Natural Learning mean to me ... Part Two

I really enjoy reading and talking about how other people 'do' home education.  We're all curious about how others live their lives without school.  Visiting homes, chatting at the park and seeing pictures on blogs is a lot of fun (speaking of which I should post more photos).  We share thoughts and ideas about resources, arrangement of spaces and ways of organising things, and help each other learn and solve problems.  I've met about 100 home ed. families, visited countless websites and subscribe to about 20 blogs.  All are fantastic sources of inspiration.  I love the culture of acceptance, generosity and encouragement which I've experienced online and in our local home ed. network.  So ... THANKS!!!!

Just to clarify, I'm only writing here about what we're doing, which works for us at the moment.  Each family is different and that's the beauty of having our children at home.  I admire everyone doing their best, in their own way.

If any of this sounds organised, it's because I'm trying hard to find the consistent points in our very flexible, whimsical, busy life.  And even though these posts are long, I bet I'll leave out some really special and important details.  So expect a few p.s.'s from me.  I'm not claiming to have any particularly original thoughts ... this synthesis is the result of a couple of years reading and talking and living.  I'll get on with it then!

OUR VERSION OF ECLECTIC, TIDAL HOME EDUCATION ...

-  we blend various aspects of Unschooling, Natural Learning, Interest-based, Child-led learning, Unit Studies, Literature and Thematic studies, Traditional school and probably other methods.
-  the glue sticking it all together is our faith, relationships and zest for learning and living!

-  learning happens all the time, everywhere, in conventional and playful ways.

-  lessons learned by experiencing are often the most memorable.

-  child-initiated learning and intrinsic motivation are powerful tools to be encouraged and valued.

-  we are not limited to a particular curriculum, textbook, grade level or educational approach.

-  we unashamedly borrow ideas from diverse education methods, philosophies and theories, to develop a unique blend that pleases and nourishes OUR children.

-  there are many valid ways to explore subjects, share ideas and demonstrate skills.

-  in our daily journey we share the joy of setting directions and modes of transport.

-  the Lord, my husband and myself have God-given roles which aren't open to compromise.

-  I'm a facilitator ... doors can be opened by the resources I provide and the experiences I plan.
-  kind of like the Doctor's creed, I try to 'first do no harm' (I think it goes something like that).

A FEW MORE POINTS ...

-  as a home educator I DO refer to curriculums (many, from all over the world) for ideas and suggestions of what the children might be interested in or need to know.  Then I set most of it aside and just let learning happen.  I sometimes respect and sometimes ridicule the outcomes and principles of our State and National curriculum.  It's more important to me that my children keep their curiosity, have a chance to stretch their minds, and learn diligence and persistence.

-  we DO use numerous 'schoolish' resources and ideas, as one of many tools, but I can't think of a program I have used in it's entirety ... I always feel the need to extract, tweak and condense.  We skip liberally around grade levels to suit our children's needs and interests.  Responses may be written, discussed, dictated or demonstrated in practical ways.   

-  if I think my children would benefit from improving a particular skill, I find (sometimes fun) ways to steer them in that direction and help them see why it's worth putting in some time and effort.  Contrary to the bulk of unschooling theory, I DO at times use coersion, bribery and extrinsic motivators to assist with this.  I expect my children to respect my judgement when differences arise, and balance this by aiming to respect my children's readiness, opinions, interests and learning styles.

-  our family culture is an invisible but integral part of the learning experience our kids enjoy ... so I guess I'd describe our crew as faithful, playful, caring, energetic, affectionate, talkative, generous, creative, intellectual, busy but relaxed, peaceful but not quiet, sensible but often silly.  Pete and I can both be a bit more bossy and authoritative than what I'd like at times.  I sometimes get carried away on tangents of being industrious, introspective, distracted and multi-tasking.  And I'm usually trying to do a zillion things at once.

-  there are many reasons why Pete and I do things the way we do, and Scriptures which guide us when we have to chose between divergent paths.  That doesn't mean I think we have all the answers, and I know every choice made has an opportunity cost and there'd be potentially different outcomes if we'd gone the other way.  I have to accept the consequences of our choices, keep learning and seek the silver lining in the clouds which sometimes appear.

These are my honest reflections ... obviously a work in progress.  So although I think I've written way too much and I don't know if it makes any sense, I'll send it out into cyberspace.  

---------------------------------

Part Three, about the specifics of what we actually do, might take longer to compose.  Sorry I'm taking so long to get to the practical bits!  

On my mind ...

I finally have snippets of time to gather my thoughts, write articles and finish a few drafted posts which have been cooking for a while.  Hopefully something I write will inspire, help or amuse someone!

Some of the things I'm thinking about:

 • Collating my jumbled records and plans for our upcoming Home Ed registration interview.  I'm sorting out my ideas and paperwork on everything to do with it ... why, how, what etc.  Loving the choices and freedom I have, and enjoying getting organised, but nervous about getting it right (note to self: there is no RIGHT!)  My biggest battle is to keep it simple instead of doing mountains of unnecessary work!

•  Health, mostly mine, which is mostly fine.  I've finally seen a doctor after putting it off for ages.  I had an ECG which was clear, as expected.  There is something odd about my heart which showed up, but it's not dangerous or the cause of recent chest pain.  A personal issue was discussed, but it's not life threatening and having read about the tests, treatments and undesirable side effects, we are committing it solely to prayer.  And I'm considering doing a simplified elimination diet.  I know I'm dairy intolerant, but cutting that and other known irritants from my diet hasn't fixed everything.  On the up side, I'm glad my problems now are only physical, and also pretty minor compared to many people.

•  Stuff.  School stuff, clothing, linen, books, mending, hobbies, digital photos.  I do pretty well at keeping down the clutter, but it's a battle.  Our belongings need a bit of attention and sorting.  Now that I have time I'm industriously sifting, storing and Op Shop bagging.

•  Home, study, job and travel choices.  We're blessed to have choices at all, and sometimes wonderful possibilities, but it can be hard to decide what to do when, and how the finances will all work out.  As always, we simply need to trust in the Lord for provision and direction, and it will all work out for the best.

•  Computer time.  I've been researching a few things online and my eyes haven't coped well.  My seldom-worn glasses are more of a hindrance than a help, so I guess it's time for another eye test.  I also worry that I might spend too much time on here, and ought to be productive in other ways.  Finding a balance is tricky sometimes.  What do you do??

•  Personality types.  I read another couple of books and confirmed I am an INTJ.  Introverted, iNtuitive, Thinking, Judging.  Depending on the book I may be called a Logical Visionary, Scientist, Strategist, Rational Mastermind, Perfectionist.  It all sounds pretty fancy and la-di-dah, but really they're all just words and I'm just ME.  Out of curiosity I did find an online INTJ discussion group, but as fun as it is to meet like-minded people (we're rare, just 2-3% of the population), it's not high on my list of priorities.

•  PLUS cooking for a fussy eater, sewing, home education philosophies, science topics, kids toys, book ideas, keeping warm, mindful parenting, cleaning, art projects, upcoming holidays ...

Whew!  That's enough babble from me.  It's more of a diary entry I suppose but somehow these thoughts jumped onto a blog page today.  Perhaps it'll help you get to know me better!

Birthday Girl

Our sweet Jasmine is five.  Her birthday was last week.  We can see the lovely young lady she's becoming alongside traces of the baby she was.  Snuggly, bouncy, lively, sleepy, talkative, imaginative, purposeful, cheeky, fussy, loving, demanding then helpful.  Using 5 syllable words in the same sentence as ambliance and b'sketti.  Five is such a joyful, exciting age.  I'm energised and exhausted, enraptured and exasperated by my little darling.

Jasmine is such a puzzle.  Sometimes so shy, but when comfortable she's a little whirlwind!  We used to affectionately call her our "wooshka-booshka".  I don't know if that's a new word, but there wasn't an invented word adequate to describe her mischievous, exuberant playfulness.  Almost naughty.  Often dangerous.  Only by the grace of God has she made it to this age without breaking a bone or needing stitches ... thankyou Lord!

Jasmine age 2

We had a couple of Jasmine's friends over for afternoon tea to celebrate her 5th Birthday.  Because of the small number of guests, she only took half an hour to get into the swing of things (in the picture below she's still warming up).  Elijah greeted guests at the door wearing his Knight costume.  The Princesses ate dainty cupcakes, fairy bread and fruit on pop sticks ...

... then played statues, puzzle races, a hula-hoop relay and ring-a-ring-of-rosies.  Jasmine didn't want the same games as Elijah had at his party, and sagely requested the last one saying it would be "good for when everybody's too excited and overwhelmed"!!

Since I'd made 60 cupcakes (new recipe meets absent brain, oops!), the girls each decorated a few extras to take home (or quietly lose, if so wished by the parents, ha ha).  I had made an icecream cake by starting with a frozen Sara Lee strawberry swirl cheesecake, then adding smarties and layers of white and strawberry icecream topped with sprinkles.

Ah, sweet love!

Getting back into writing?

I read Kez's post about getting back into writing this morning ... I think it's awesome!  And inspiring.  Go for it Kez!!

I hope I don't sound like a copy-cat, but I might soon be doing the same ... I haven't said much about the 'writer' part of myself in this blog.   Mostly because I haven't been writing for the last few years (unless you count home school forums, blogs and emails).  There's some negotiating and stock-taking to be done, but the momentum is building.

For the record, I stopped writing because:


1.  It took too much of my time and attention away from my family.  They were jealous and probably had every right to be.  I needed to get back to basics and be a good mum and wife first.


2. I started to question myself about the 'what' and 'why' of writing, and couldn't answer my questions well enough to justify continuing.  I was stuck on the "all is vanity" soundtrack, and didn't want to waste the time God had given me.


3.  Life was fast and frantic at home with two toddlers, Pete returning to work (after being a full-time dad) and starting our home-schooling journey.


4.  I chickened out.  I had a publisher accept a proposal for some short stories (for an education series), but I froze because I was scared I wouldn't do a good enough job.  I pulled out rather than risk failing. 


5.  I had a lot of writing projects in progress at once, and couldn't decide which ones to develop and which ones to set aside.


I'm determined not to think myself into a hole over all of this.  But I think I might have moved on to a healthier frame of mind since then.  I'm ready to take myself less seriously and have fun with it.  

So all things considered, maybe I'm ready to jump back into the inkpot, and take stock of where I got to.  I have a shelf full of drafts, plot plans, and rejection letters.  Some of my stories were good training ground and are better left unfinished.  But I'm hoping there may be a few projects with potential in amongst the mess!

While I'm at it I have some things to share.  A few years ago I wrote some articles about WRITING.
 Some of them were published in writer's magazines, e-zines or newsletters.  But that's long ago and there's no point in them gathering cyber-dust if they can be of use to someone.  I'll post the first article today.  If you have any friends who write, feel free to send them a link.

Birthday boy

We've been celebrating Elijah's 6th Birthday for weeks!  He had an early party with friends and family a couple of weeks ago, which was a ton of fun!  Here's the birthday boy with his cake ...

... a freshly baked banana cake filled with cream and bananas, dusted with cocoa powder and decorated in a 2 minute frenzy while the guests were outside taking turns to launch a rocket (a pump action toy from National Geographic).  I'd forgotten to look for the birthday candle box, but Elijah didn't seem worried.

We had another cake on his actual birthday, shared with new friends (a home schooling family from Darwin who are traveling in a caravan for over a year ... we met them at our church conference on the weekend).  How exciting to have them visit our home and hear about their adventures, which are just like the dream we're working towards!  I'm sure we could've talked for a week.

Here's Elijah on his new bike yesterday ... we took it out the front and he just jumped right on and took off!  Not even a wobble.  That was a cool moment!  He wasn't expecting a bike either, which made it even sweeter.

Since Pete was home I grabbed my bike and took Elijah for a spin down to the park.  Being mid-week, we had the place to ourselves, and went silly trying out the BMX jumps.  Pete helped Jasmine adjust Elijah's old bike to her liking (attaching her pink bell and doll carrier, and putting the training wheels back on).

It's been a GREAT couple of weeks celebrating this birthday.  Now we're swinging into action for Jasmine's 5th birthday, soon to be upon us.  Jasmine was born when Elijah was 1 year and 10 days old.  She's enjoyed making his birthday special, and I'm so glad for her that her turn is now here!

While I can't believe they're already 6 and almost 5, it's so incredibly wonderful to think about their lives so far, and to snuggle in the love we share.  Sure there's conflict and stubborn standoffs and selfishness, in all of us, but above all it's just TOO amazing, such a privilege to be their Mum.