Entries Tagged 'babbling' ↓

You know those “homeschoolers” who always laugh at the ill-fitting moniker?  You know, the ones that are never actually home, and are always out exploring nature, frequenting museums, and taking more classes than your average college freshman?  Yeah… that’s not us.

We’re homebodies.  At least, I should say, Alpha and I are homebodies.  Gamma seems to follow suit, although whether that’s due to nature or nurture is debatable.  Epsilon has yet to make his preferences known.

So, most of our time, we actually ARE at home.  And I think that’s fine.  But I’m also trying to get out and do more with the kids, to expose them to what our area has to offer.  This week, we ventured out to the PASS, a science adventure park a mere ten-minute drive from our house.  It’s a former colliery, turned into a great hands-on museum.  Although, obviously, all the info and audio-bits are in French and Dutch, the areas of the museum geared for the younger set were relatively easy for me to translate on the fly.  Not that the kids cared about the text.  They were more concerned with trying out absolutely everything.

There’s lots more to explore, including a weather observatory that Gamma’s excited about, so I think this was a good find and we’ll be back frequently.    Where to venture next?

We are still here.  I am doing lots of reading and thinking and processing.  It’s all good reading and thinking and processing, I promise.  Just not ready to go into detail — the thoughts have not all been processed and are still currently whirling around inside my head.

It’s been over two weeks since we cracked open our phonics program.  And yet Gamma’s reading more than ever.  I’m learning to sit back and relax and enjoy watching the progress, rather than trying to instigate it.

Learning being the operative word here.  It takes time to learn to relax.  Who knew I was so uptight?  In the meantime, I’ve been crocheting.

Keeping my hands busy and out of his business… some of the time.

*edited to link to Nicole’s fabulous basic sock pattern.  I could never have come up with this on my own!

the pack will play, apparently.

Alpha is in London at the first ever TAM London event.  I’m practically rabid with jealousy.  But I’m trying to contain myself.

I had grand plans for the weekend — taking the boys out every day to do something cool and different.  A hike, perhaps a zoo or wildlife preserve, maybe a movie.  But when we woke up this morning, all they really wanted to do was stay in their jammies and play.

So that’s what we did.

I’ve got to tell you… we’re having a hard time over here.  I’m really struggling.  What happened to my sweet, compliant Gamma?  In his place is this moody teenager, trapped inside a five year old body.  And what happened to the endless patience I used to possess?  He’s sullen and rebellious, I’m bitchy and short-tempered and…. well, Alpha may or may not have called me a harpie tonight.  And he may or may not have been kidding.

All my well-laid plans and schedules seem laughable at this point.  I’ve actually seriously considered the local public schools once more.  Are they really as bad an option as we thought?  (yes) What about the local Catholic schools, which are purported to be stronger academically?  Could we abide having our kids indoctrinated, and just do some un-indoctrinating at home?  (no, obviously) Obviously, I was just being a wee bit melodramatic when I started talking public school — it’s not a good fit for our family and we’ve always known that.

But, somehow… somehow I always thought we’d just segue naturally into homeschooling.  Gamma’s curious by nature; I love to research and learn new things.  He and I are extremely close.  I knew he wouldn’t be the sit-and-fill-in-workbooks kid that I was, but I thought I had accounted for that.  Apparently I don’t understand his personality and learning styles nearly as well as I thought I did.

(And how the hell do you figure out the learning styles of a 5 year old, anyway?  Why are all the tests to figure out your learning style geared for those who have already completed the crux of their learning??)

I like to think this is the norm — that all new homeschoolers experience this uncertainty, and have to re-evaluate as they go.  The dreaded term “unschooling” has popped up a few times in the last few days, all met with an immediate negative shake of the head from Alpha.  There is great value, he says, in formal knowledge and structured lessons.  I agree, for what it’s worth.  I just don’t know that they are of value to a five year old, or even a ten year old.  To a fifteen year old, pursuing the path they desire in life, I think formal, structured lessons are well-advised. But to my kindergartner… I think close family relationships and pursuing your interest of the day are more beneficial.

If I choose to pursue unschooling (please, someone, give me a less-volatile title for this concept!), I may be soothing one relationship (mother and son) but irritating another (husband and wife).  I’m uncertain in which direction to proceed.  Do I keep going, and eventually bend my child’s will to my own?  Or follow his?  In which case, bending my own?  And what lesson does that send?

Tomorrow… tomorrow we are making cookies, and dog food (home-roasted turkey, rice, and veg — nothing but the best for our Border Collie/mutt), and perhaps making a trip to the library to look for crochet books for me, and Wii games for loan, and whatever perks the interest of my boys.  Tomorrow we are taking a break.  A break from the fighting, and the nagging, and the 5 year old pretending he can’t spell “not” in his phonics  program, but completely able to sound out “La Flûte Enchantée” and figure out that was French for “The Magic  Flute” and beg to go to it because he loves the music.

JJ, please move to Belgium and be my best friend for a year and help me figure out how to do this!!   Because the only homeschool support here is unabashedly christian (good for them; if you’re going to take a stand, take it unabashedly), and I find myself completely on my own.

Alpha and I are sick.  Dog sick.  Feel like we’re going to die sick. Last week the kids were suffering.  Now it’s our turn.

The kids are ruling the roost.

It isn’t pretty.