Unschooling Days - Homeschool Blogger

Mother's Day

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 19:13:00 -0500

May 2006

As usual, I had a beautiful Mothers� Day celebrating being a mother to the most precious boy I could ever dream of giving birth to. I just awe in the whole title of being called, in our house, �Mumma�. It�s got tobe the most precious thing anyone can be called and I feel so privileged and blessed to be one.

Mothers Day also brings up feelings of sadness for me too as I remember my own mum and how very much I still miss her, even after 15 years of her not being on this earth. Being a parent makes me, even more, appreciate my mum and what a beautiful, gentle, nurturing and empathetic human being she was and how very much I�d like to be more like her. I also ponder, on this day each year, how things would be if Lewi could have known her and spent time with her. He certainly would�ve loved her and of course her, him. It was not to be.

Normally we would spend the time with my family - JoAnne and the girls, but they wanted to do something down in Eden and I really wanted to go to the Tanja gardens so we spent the time separately this year. Actually it was really special just sharing Mothers Day with Lewi - really special.

Lewi bought me a Mothers Love rose (which I�ve wanted for sometime now) and some chocolates. He has been so excited about Mothers Day and making it a special day for me. As soon as I awoke he was ready with a big cuddle and a �Happy Mothers Day, Mumma�. He wanted to help me all day and kept asking what he could do for me. We made a lovely special breakfast of croissants, fruit, juice and a cup of tea together and then we traipsed off, in the chilly drizzle, to two open gardens.

One was a very newly started one of a labrynth hedge. It was fun to walk the entire thing and then back again. The effect will be wonderful once the hedges are more established. I have wanted to do a min-maze in our own garden for awhile now so it was inspiring to get some ideas from this garden.

The second garden was a more established one. It was nice but probably not the best time of year to visit it - looked like a spring garden to me. We had a lovely picnic lunch there and a wander through.

I got to have some nice quiet relaxing time at home by the fire, sipping lots of cups of tea and enjoying the gorgeous cooler weather. Lewi was disappointed for me that the day was coming to a close but I reassured him that every day was Mothers Day to me, with him in my life. His little face beamed. He�s such a precious, precious little boy. He has a heart of gold, particularly towards me and I feel so utterly and entirely blessed.

Happy Mother's Day to all mums, everywhere!

The Egg and The Sperm

Wed, 17 May 2006 17:19:00 -0500

Note: This journal entry discusses things that some may not want to read while eating their breakfast!

I must say, most of the learning that goes on in our house happens during conversation. The most amazing things come up during breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner, in the car, walking, gardening, and sitting around doing nothing much.

This morning while having breakfast, we were discussing a very interesting subject - menstruation. I know, an unusual topic for breakfast time but, well it came up so we talked about it. As we munched on our museli, we discussed the ins and outs of the female cycle. We discussed some of the feelings that woman get when they menstruate. We discussed the why�s and the how�s and the �what does it look like. We discussed every gorey detail.

After awhile Lewi asked: What�s the stuff of an egg (human!) made of? Is it like the stuff in frog spawn?�

I am no longer surprised at any of Lewi�s questions. They have always been really thoughtful and different and inspiring and I SO wish that when I was young I had his inquiring mind and thirst for knoweldge. I did have to stop and think, however. This is not something I�ve ever really thought about.

I said that I thought it probably was but that maybe we could look into it later if he�d like (a very common response to most things I know little about).

Then he asked: �Are the sperm animals?�

�Hmmm�� I said. Another really interesting question and again, one I haven�t thought through, EVER.

�I�m really not sure about that.� I added.

�Well,� Lewi said. �They look like tadpoles and act like tadpoles. Tadpoles are animals.�

�Hmmm. That�s true.�

Then he added: �They�re cute anyway.�

�I�ll draw a picture of the sperm.� Lewi said.

He got up from the table and came back with pen and paper. He did a quick sketch and then handed it to me. He�d drawn a very cute picture of a tadpole-like critter.

And that was that. I can�t remember what we discussed after that but it wasn�t to do with reproduction, eggs, sperm or tadpoles. I�m confident that we�ll get back to it all at some point. Who knows where it will lead but I�m sure it�s all helping Lewi build a good picture about what life is all about. A very different scenario to the Year One �Where Do Babies Come From? � program!

The Tooth Fairy

Wed, 17 May 2006 17:16:00 -0500

On the 10th of March, 2006 while we were away in Canberra for the weekend, Lewi discovered he had his first wobbly tooth (actually, teeth - two at the bottom). On arriving back home we began reading a beautiful book I�d bought ages ago (for the special moment) called Dear Tooth Fairy. It�s a letter style book and is filled with tiny letters from the Tooth Fairy to the character in the story (Holly). It really brought alive the idea of faries and the magic of losing a tooth. Each day Lewi checked his wobbly tooth to see if it might just be ready to fall out. The wait for the Tooth Fairy would be a long one�

It was Easter Monday and the wobbly tooth remained intact. We had family and friends over for an alfresco lunch on the verandah. After a feast of home made pizzas Lewi decided to bring out some easter eggs to share. He unwrapped his easter bunny and chomped down on its ear. Ouch! Tears welled up in Lewi�s little eyes as he gripped at his mouth. His tooth had come out!

There was a bit more blood than we had predicted and a bit of pain - not what Lewi had planned would happen. He was overwhelmed by it all and in shock to see that there was quite a hole left where the tooth had been. Everyone at the table helped console him and let him know their own stories of when they lost teeth.

Eventually he got used to the idea but some concerns remained, the main one being that he was worried it had broken off instead of fallen out. By night fall, and after more discussion, we re-read Dear Tooth Fairy and Lewi planned what he was going to do with his tooth. He put it on a tissue and into a match box. He then slipped it under his pillow and fell asleep in await for the morning.

When Lewi awoke the next morning he was over the moon. The Tooth Fairy certainly had come, taken his tooth and left a letter, a gold coin (inflation!) and lots of fairy dust. He wanted to write straight back to the Tooth Fairy to thank her and ask her a few questions (just like Holly did!). We talked and talked about it all that next day and since then have enjoyed discussing it with little friends who haven�t yet lost a tooth and others who have. Two little friends, twins - Bejamin and Lennart also lost the same tooth (only a little while before Lewi) so it�s been lovely to see three toothless boys smiling away together and discussing their teeth.

It was interesting though that the most wobbly one was not the one to fall out. We think the lost one must have really been bitten on hard! The remaining wobbly one is still with us - determined to remain in place. It�s now the middle of May�when, oh when will it fall out? We wait with excitement.

A Day Around Easter Time

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 03:51:00 -0500

This morning we had breakfast out on the verandah. It's beautiful here this time of year so we are taking advantage of our lovely north eastern aspect (the first autumn in our new house). Lewi did some drawing too which is a very common occurance throughout the day. We discuss the death of Christ and what it means to us just because we can. We do this alot and put no particular emphasise on it for easter as we celbrate His death throughout the year. We basically celebrate Easter in a pagan way like the rest of society - lots of fun with the easter bunny, chocolate, egg hunts and traditional activities.

Lewi then spent abit of time on the computer playing a game called Miner Max, which he's all of a sudden got hooked on. It's lots of fun so I play with him too for a little while (I'm not into the computer game stuff but this game's even got me hooked!).

Mid-morning we head off to do a little bit of shopping before the big family day tomorrow (Easter Sunday). We spend some time looking for pyjamas for Lewi and are rapped to find a dressing gown that's not polar fleece (Lewi's allergic to it). We discuss the find and decide on a colour and size. Lewi then goes off to have a look at the toy section (very small country store) and comes back with a Star Wars toy that he's been wanting for a long while. We've previously discussed it and he decided he'd need to save for 3 weeks to get it but today he just felt he really needed it. So he came up with a solution to the situation and we negotiated that he could get it now and pay me the money over the next two weeks (it was on sale today so only $11 instead of $15 - bonus). We stopped into the postbox to check our mail and found a little parcel from my Nan awaiting. After doing a bit of Coles shopping and a quick stop in at the video store we headed home for lunch.

Lewi then unwrapped the parcel from Nan to find four little eggs and a cute hand towel with easter bunnies on it that my Nan had done. It has also got his name embroided onto it. We put this in the kitchen for Lewi to use over the Easter period. Lewi decided he'd like to watch the DVD he chose so I did a few odd jobs, checked my emails and put on some much needed washing.

After lunch we made some Easter baskets - one for Lewi to collect his Easter Bunny eggs in and one for his aunty (who's nine) for an Egg Hunt tomorrow. Then Lewi wrote a letter to the Easter Bunny. I wrote most of it while he told (he's still not that into writing yet). Then we did some egg dyeing - some hard boiled ones, others blown. We used crayons to make a pattern and then dyed over the top of them. Others we put elastic bands on and then dyed them. When they were dry we took off the elastic bands and found a lovely pattern left. We made a lovely little display for the house: a bowl filled with dyed eggs sitting inside a rustic wreath, the little baskets, the hand made easter card from my Nan and a few other odds and ends.

In the afternoon we went outside for a play. We spent a fair bit of time on the trampoline - turn taking. It's a very windy day today so we couldn't go for our bike ride. We played ball with the dog for awhile - Lewi taking turns to pretend being a dog. He'd fetch and retrieve too! (The only child thing I think?LOL) We collected some kindling for the fire and put it into a basket on the verandah ready for fire lighting tonight. Lewi did some more trampoling while I got the clothes off the line. Then he went lizard hunting while I ducked inside to start the pumpkin soup for dinner.

Tonight we will probably do some reading together - finishing off Morris Gleitzman's Worm Story (it's fantastic!) and maybe look at some dinosaur books. I'll watch Gardening Australia. Lewi will probably do some lego, draw and/or look at his millions of shark or dino books - he might even read something to me (which I always love and really encourage). A cosy crisp autumn night snuggled up by the fire is a regular event at our place these past few weeks - such a lovely, relaxing time of togetherness. We'll probably go to bed early as we have been doing since the end of saylight saving, ready for the easter bunny and celebrations with the family tomorrow.

Happy Easter

Qustacon Science Circus

Sun, 5 Mar 2006 21:05:00 -0600

We�ve just had a really lovely few hours at the mobile Questacon Science Circus which was held at our local RSL club. They had loads of fun activities set up for kids (and grown-ups!) of all ages with little explanations for each one. Lewi had fun going around finding the next �free� one (we�re not used to crowds in the country!) and having a go at working it all out. They also had, every 30 mins or so, shows on a range of science topics. We got to see a few of these and they were fascinating for Lewi. He loved the experiments that took place and was totally entertained by the enthusiasm of the young people running the shows. We learnt lots about different parts of the brain, about scientific myths, about magic and tricks in science and a range of other things too. we�ve taken home lots of ideas too for science experiments and activities that we�d like to try ourselves. They had some pamphlets available with recipes for slime and touchable bubbles - we�ll be sure to make all of them.

They had a set up for purchasing sciency toys and construction type things which is always fun. We got some new things to play with and add to our cupboards which we don�t normally come across down here.

We have been to Questacon in Canberra and really enjoyed ourselves there but, in many ways, this was better. It was more intensified and we were able to do everything rather than leave feeling like we�d missed awhole lot (which is what we felt on our Canberra visit).

Who said life in the country is limited? We�re having a ball and utilising the many resources on offer - what a life.

Why Have I Chosen Not to Send My Child to School?

Sat, 28 Jan 2006 03:22:00 -0600

I know how hard it is for those people around me, particularly my closest family and friends, to understand why I would choose to homeschool my child. I know that it is not the 'norm' and that I am choosing a path for him that will stick out at some, if not lots, of places during his childhood and into adulthood. I know that most of us have been schooled in the system and we seem to be coping with life OK. I know that most of the choices I have made for my child seem to be different to the majority of parents. I just want to let them all know that it's OK and I understand their confusion and perhaps frustration at me for choosing a minority way of life.

I also want them to know how I came to choose this path and how it's so beneficial for us to live this way.

It all started when I first had my sweet, precious little bundle of joy. Three weeks prior to his birth I was a teacher in a state primary school. I enjoyed my job and thought that I'd return after my baby's birth, at some point. Once Lewi entered the world, however, my thoughts drastically changed. I couldn't imagine handing my precious little bundle over to anyone else. Surely no-one could love him as I did?

From very early on I thought about Lewi's education. As time went on I realised that I couldn't just hand him over to any old school at the age of five.

By the time he was three I started seriously thinking about where on earth I could send him to school. I looked into all of the local state schools and realised that I no longer had the same view of the education system that I'd had only a few years before. At this time I was also doing a little bit of private tutoring (which I'd been doing for years as a teacher). I felt the need to stop as I didn't really feel I could reach the kids I was trying to help. They improved in terms of the systems demands upon them but they weren't developing the love of learning and passion for knowledge that my three year boy had. What was wrong? I wasn't sure at the time. I now know.

I looked into Montessori and it's approach to learning. I found elements of this that appealed to me. I pursued this option. I visited the school. I went to it's open days. I met the teachers. I questioned them all. Something didn't feel right there, for me.

My search for the best school for Lewi continued. I started looking into homeschooling as an option. It felt good to me in amny ways but it was a relatively new concept. As a teacher I felt homeschooling to be a strange choice for parents to make (I take that all back now!). Due to the negative feedback I got whenever I mentioned my thoughts about possibly homescholing Lewi, and also the amount of unaswered questions I had about the whole concept of not going to school, I put the idea aside and continued on my search for the right school.

By the time Lewi had turned four I was agonising over whether or not to send him to preschool. In my heart it felt wrong but all his friends were enrolling and he said he wanted to go. After many conversations with the staff at the local preschool, and due to my thoughts that he'd probably be going to school the following year anyway, I reluctantly sent him along. He loved it. He had lots of fun and developed a lovely bond with his teacher.

At about the same time I began looking into the waldorf steiner philosophy for learning. I went to open days. I talked to teachers, I spoke to parents of children already at the school. I spoke to friends who were going to send their children there. I surfed the net looking for information. Although there were elements of the approach that I really liked it was still a system of learning. It was a school situation with lots of children where everyone had to do similar things at similar times every day - 6 hours a day, five days a week.

During my research into the steiner approach I began re-looking into homeschooling as an option. It is then that I fell upon unschooling and natural learning. I became intrigued by this approach to . The philosophy behind being that children learn best when they are given the freedom to choose their own learning for themselves. I learned more about the nature of learning in a few short months than I ever did as a student in the school system and later on as a university student. Giving children the opportunities to self-direct their own learning and self-regulate their lives was a new concept to me. But looking at Lewi's life and realising that he was learning all he needed to learn right then and there, regardless of a school system, felt empowering and wonderful. This is what I felt was missing in those years of my teaching career. No wonder students needed so many incentives and rewards to keep them going. They were learning but they were learning what I wanted them to learn (or the Dept of Ed wanted them to learn). They weren't learning what was important to them. They weren't given the freedom of choice (very rarely). They weren't able to dream and devise and hope and discuss their own paths. Their paths were chosen and that was that.

The more I looked into natural learning the more I loved it. This was what I'd been searching for. Lewi had been natural learning all of his little life. It felt right.

Looking at the results of natural learning in Lewi's first 4 years of life, I could see a passionate little boy who had an all consuming thirst for knowledge and learning. He was a lover of books. A lover of nature. A fanatic about anything he was interested in at the time. He was motivated and self-directed and loved to play. There was nothing, the unschooling approach explained, in need of change. Nothing needed implementing. Nothing needed to suddenly <em>happen</em> to Lewi at the age of five for him to suddenly switch on to learning - he was already there, doing it, living life to the fullest.

I had finally reached the place that I needed to get to make the best decision for Lewi's education. So, after five times of preschool, I pulled him out. Much to my family and friends' surprise and some disapproval, I had made the absolute best, heart decision I'd ever made. It felt right. It felt normal. It felt peaceful for Lewi to just stay at home and not enter a system to be institutionalised. To stay at home and keep doing what we'd always done.

That year I read and read and read. I grabbed at anything to do with unschooling and natural learning. I joined yahoo groups left right and centre. I printed out realms and realms of fantastic articles on all sorts of related topics . I bought lots of good books form great authors on this approach to learning. I found out about John Holt and John Taylor-Gatto. I learned about how chidlren learn. I learned about how they fail. I learned the most I've ever learned about learning and the education system in that single year. I felt armed and ready.

By the time Lewi turned five I knew I'd have some explaining to do. The questions poured in at me from all angles: Why would you choose to homeschool? Won't he get bored? What about socialisation? What about YOU, how will you get a break? How's he going to function normally? How will he make friends? How will he fit into society? Tell me your not going to do this for the high school years? What about uni - aren't you depriving him?

At the time I had some answers, now I think I have most of them. It was a daunting time. I felt a real lack of support. So I decided to make a concerted effort to find some more like-minded people. I knew that both Lewi and I would need this type of support and social outlet in our lives. I rang around searching for anyone in our local area who homeschooled. To my relief I found some. On making the initial contacts and attempting to get some get togethers happening however it felt as though regular contact was not going to be possible. I started to feel dispondant and concerned that we wouldn't have the support I'd really hoped for.

One day, last year, this all changed for the better. On arriving home from an outing, there was a message on my answering machine. It was a local family trying to make contact with as many homeschoolers as possible. They wanted to homeschool and asked if we would all like to get together and meet to discuss homeschooling. We all turned out to be natural learners! Who would've thought? This was the beginning of a wonderful, wonderful group.We now meet once a month and have great raves about learning and our children. We also meet with some other homeschoolers once a month and have fun outings together.

Life for us is great. No hurried mornings trying to get to school on time, no: 'I don't want to go to school' comments, no 'I don't want to do homework', no bullying, very little peer pressure, no tired and cranky child at the end of the day (well, not most days at least). Our days are spent enjoying life. Lewi is free to choose whatever it is he'd like to do. There are no schedules to follow. No deadlines to meet. No changing of topics when he's right in the middle of something fun or important to him. No pushing him to do something he's finding too hard or boring. No having to stop when a bell rings. No having to ask to go to the toilet. No waiting to eat even when you're starving. No lining up. No hands up to talk. No staying in late. No detentions for talking in class (actually, talking is encouraged!). Lots of time to play and dream; laugh and run; swim and ride.; read and listen; and talk, talk, talk. He gets to experience real life with real people. He's learning to interact with the world safely and confidently and with room to grow and change in a natural way.

He's learned to read and he's developing his writing. He loves most things to do with numbers. He's telling the time. He loves to draw, and paint and make things. He loves to construct and build. He's passionate about the natural world and the sciences. He's enthused about historical things, relevant to his interests. He's confident on the computer and can surf the net. He loves riding his bike and swimming and exploring. He likes to kick a ball around and have a game of cricket. He loves playing with his friends and having fun. He loves to be outside and explore nature. He loves delving into his imagination and making up fantastical stories, characters and worlds. He's doing all this freely and in a self-directed way. His learning is his own .

And, when it all boils down to it, he's just a normal child doing normal things. He loves his life and he loves learning. He's happy and content. He loves this way of life. What more could anyone want for him?

The further I travel down this unschooling journey the more I see the need for freedom and uninterrupted learning time. I am working hard at trying to establish this even more for Lewi as I deschool myself and fight the education system that is so deeply entrenched within my veins. The more I read and learn and reflect the more I relax and deschool the better facilitator and parent I am for my child.

So, why have I chosen to not send Lewi to school? There is no need. He has it all right at his fingertips whenever and whatever he chooses. Now I'd like to ask the question: Why choose to send any child to school?

Christmas

Fri, 27 Jan 2006 21:56:00 -0600

Christmas has come and gone. In many ways I�m saddened that we now have to wait another 12 months for it to return. On the other hand, I�m relieved that the stress is over. The madness of shopping and planning and buying and preparing is too much for me at times but at other times I really enjoy it. A big mixed bag of emotions for me!

We had a lovely Christmas though, this year. The first in our new house and actually the first I�ve ever hosted. All my life I�ve been planning the Christmas table - centre pieces, colour coordination, place markers, all the crockery and glassware, the menu, the guests. I enjoyed this to the hilt - it was all to be re-arranged and dismantled by the 24 guests once we sat down to eat however, but the hour or so beforehand, I treasured!

We have a few little Christmas traditions which I love.

Every year we have an advent calendar - usually one of those daggy cardboard ones. This year we found a lovely felt Christmas tree which had a little felt pocket for each day of the advent. Each pocket holds a wooden decoration which is hung onto a button on the Christmas tree. Inside the pocket I placed a chocolate coin. Lewi now has a real grasp on the whole calendar thing. Each day he would look at the date and tell me what it was. He�d count down how many more days until Christmas and worked it all out in weeks as well.

We also love to make gingerbread men for the festive season. We usually make them and then share them with friends and visitors who pop in over the December weeks. We also made rocky road for gifts as well as florentines for ourselves!

On Christmas Eve I give Lewi a special Christmas decoration for him to hang on the tree. It�s always one for him to keep for when he�s an adult and he loves building up his little supply of ornate decorations. I also gave him, this year, a picture book version of �Twas The Night Before Christmas. We read this by the Christmas Tree lights on Christmas Eve. We then set up Santas� little plate of nibblies and a carrot for the reindeers. Lewi also wrote a note for Santa, lettig him know how to get into our house. He was concerned that Santa might not know how to get into our new house as it doesn�t have a chimney!

Lewi really got into the whole Santa thing this year. I�ve never pushed it and he has always known that Santa�s a character but this year he really wanted to believe in it all. It was lovely to revel in the whole fantasy of it and it brought so many memories of my own childhood back. The waiting up as long as possible to try and hear sleigh bells or see just a hint of red was such an exhilerating feeling for me as a child and I could see it, this year, happening for Lewi. He couldn�t get to sleep, straining his ears and staring out of our bedroom window (we haven�t put our blinds up yet!) waiting for Santa to make his appearance. I became weary waiting for him to finally drift off so I could fill the sack and nibble at Santas� food so that I could then snuggle up into bed.

Christmas morning was nice and relaxed this year as we didn�t have to rush off anywhere. It was lovely to be in our own house and to have some quiet moments before the guests arrived. Lewi�s main present was a timber cubby house which I made (with a little hired help!). He got to have some play time in it and enjoy the rest of his presents while I finished the final preparations of food, table setting etc.

It was lovely having lots of family this yar. All my siblings came and their children. Plus my Grandma, some uncles and aunties, some of my cousins and step-grandparents. The kids had a lovely time and played the day away. Cricket on the lawn (well, almost lawn!), a complicated treasure hunt and water bombs entertained the young�uns (and the olds too!).

For the next few days my brother and his family stayed so Lewi got to have loads of cousin time. We went to the beach and the river, played games at night and ate lots in between. A really lovely way to get the summer rolling.

I�m not sure what we�ll be doing for Christmas in 2006 but this Christmas will be one that I think I�ll find hard to top. I am now looking forward to some normality re-entering our lives and some chilling out time just to sit and ponder. I hope that I�m not dreaming!

Summer Days

Fri, 27 Jan 2006 21:53:00 -0600

Summer is an interesting time of year for me. In one sense I absolutely LOATHE it. I can�t stand the heat! Although I live in a southern coastal area of NSW, I still yearn for the cool of a Tasmanian summer. Not that I�ve ever been to Tassie. But I am certain that it is the place where I truly belong as a true-blue, fair dinkum southerner.

The new house though, does make the summer bareable. Air conditioning is heaven sent. We�ve had some really cold weather (should-I-put-the-fire-on sort of days) which has been lovely but the inbetweens this January have been scorchers. Talking to my friends and family I cringe when they ask how the air conditioner is on those hot days. It�s blissful! I feel guilt about having somewhere cool to recluse while others around have their hot houses to melt in. Yet, the airconditioner chugs on and I feel some sense of peace amidst the blasts of sun that pour into my windows yet to have their blinds installed.

On the other hand, aside from the dreaded heat, there are parts of summer that I really do love. I love that Lewi can swim in the beautiful beaches we have nearby. Our beaches have to be some of the most gorgeous in the world. Still relatively unscathed by tourists (although they are growing rapidly) our beaches down here are pristine. Lewi loves the waves and boogey boarding. The temperature of the water doesn�t seem to deter him (it�s usually very chilled!). He loves exploring the rock pools - searching for crabs and other sea life. He has a good knowledge of animals that live in the sea and feels extremely confident handling them. It has been a real challenge for me, trusting him more and giving him the freedom to push the boundaries of safety for himself. He is one of those children who love to pick up and investigate things which are poisonous or harmful in some way. For the life of me I can�t understand it (being a non-risk taker myself). I do love this quality about Lewi though and strive to be more like him myself. He doesn�t seem to pick things up will-nilly (thankfully!). He knows that bluebottles and jellyfish can (and will!) sting and he knows which parts do the stinging. He is determined to pick them up the proper way and feels sure he won�t get stung. I, on the other hand, do not! I am constantly hovering around mentioning the tentacles and stingers; the good uses for vinegar and does this beach have any because I forgot to bring some! I�m sure some parents think I am too carefree about allowing him to experience life in this way. I certainly don�t feel carefree within myself at the time but I do need to trust his judgements more as he has spent a lot of time learning about these creatures and I would certainly say, he knows far more than I. We have had the discussion about blue ringed octopuses and he assures me he would not pick up one of those - PHEW! So too the box jelly fish - double PHEW!

As we live about 17kms from the coast we don�t get to the beach every single hot day so we generally buy a season ticket for the local pool. Most days we go. It is the hub of socialising. There�s always someone there that we know - either an old friend or a new one we�ve made during the swimming season. It�s lovely just hanging out there and keeping cool with the rest of the locals. It�s lovely that is as long as I can refrain from: looking into the bottom of the pool (you never know what lives there?); thinking about how many germs would actually be touching me right at that particular moment in time; and worrying about the damage clorine does to the human body. Each year that goes by, I�m finding myself feeling more and more uncomfortable in the soupy pool water (although I THINK it�s a pretty clean pool?). Am I becoming more of a worrier or is it just the early stages of old age setting in?

Lizards are another favourite summer past time for Lewi. Rather than breaking the year up into it�s alloted seasons Lewi breaks it up into times of the year when particular living creatures are out and about. Summer is lizard season. It is his favourite creature season. Every day he goes to the vegie patch (and all around if he can�t find them there) hunting for lizards. He loves them. He talks to them and nurtures them. He makes them little habitats and then, at the end of the day, he reluctantly releases them. He�s been researching the different types that we have at this new patch of ground where we now live. He�s grabbed a few lizard identifying books from the library and has spent hours flicking through the pages in search of the exact match for the one that�s in his hand.

Grasshoppers are another source of fun for Lewi in summer. He loves to hunt them and spend time with them. He�s researched grasshoppers too, identifying them by colour and size. There�s one that intrigued us - it wasn�t quite a grasshopper, nor was it a praying mantis but we couldn�t find it in any of our books. I switched on the TV that particular evening, after he�d found it, and there it was, with Don Bourke (doing some interview for a show we never watch) on the screen. Unfortunately the show wasn�t about bugs so we didn�t get the name but Lewi�s determined that we will come across it somewhere and that it is identifiable!

Iceblocks on the verandah are another part of summer we both love. Watermelon too. And mangoes. The smell of freshly mown lawns. BBQ�s rate high on my list normally as well but so far we haven�t got one for this new house. Soon I hope.

The river is also a lovely spot to hang out at on a hot summer�s day. Our local rivers have lots of water in them this year so we have spent some lovely days loafing in the warm water under a willow or she oak (depending on which part of the river we�re haunting at the time).

The vegie patch, our first for this house, has been a success this summer. Each day we pick loads and loads of basil. We�ve had basil-everything and for the first time in my life I feel enough is enough! No more basil pasta, brushetta, pesto - not for awhile at least. We�re anxiously waiting the tomatoes. They have taken their time but it seems that the entire patch of tomatoes are going to ripen together. Lots of tomotoey pastas, brushetta and pestos to come.

Really though, I am a cooler-weather-type of gal and I can not wait until the days begin to shorten and the leaves start to change from green to golden. I love cosy fires and hot chocolates. I love cool nights rugged up all cosy in front of the fire, mens� stripey flanelette PJ�s on, reading aloud a favourite chapter book as we snuggle together. I love that bedtimes are generally much earlier and awakening time�s are bright and early. I love being able to garden outside, go for walks and have picnics in the middle of the day and not be over heated and fear the sun (so much at least). And although I love BBQ�s on balmy summer evenings, I love them even more on a bright winters� day. Maybe we will have one by the winter?

So, here�s to ending summer�s (opposed to endless!) . I hope everyone�s enjoying the season and avoiding the heat as much as possible. Only one more month to go - enjoy everyone.

Lewi's 6th Birthday

Fri, 9 Dec 2005 13:41:00 -0600

I can't believe my little man has just turned six. Where has the time flown?

Lewi is growing up - I have to face this fact. His language, his ideas, his mannerisms, his actions - they're all those of a boy who's growing into himself. He's giving real insight now into the man that he will become and I am so in awe of him. He is my favourite company. He's interesting and interested. He's compassionate and empathetic. He's firey and focussed. He's a lover of life. He loves fun and adventure. I could go on...and on...and on... and on...

This year we decided (well, I decided), that we would be having a party-free birthday as the past 5 years have been rather big extravaganzas (for me at least). Lewi, the party-lover that he is, was at first a little disappointed but eventually he came around and was excited by the discussions of what we could do for his birthday instead. Initially we were going to head up to Canberra (our national capital!) and visit the Dinosaur Museum as well as his cousins. These plans changed as Lewi's Dad wasn't going to be able to make it. In the end he chose to watch Jurassic Park (a movie that I have been steering him away from due to it's 'full-on' bits). We set up his bedroom like a dino land (complete with plants (potted wisteria and a yukka - not exactly prehistoric but they did there job. And plastic dinos everywhere). All three of us watched the DVD together, with popcorn intermission of course. Lewi loved the whole experience - such a simple thing to do together.

In the afternoon we went 10 Pin Bowling with family and friends (four of his most special ones)and then had birthday cake at the beach. We had a great day with one relaxed (for a change!) Mumma which had to be a bonus.

These simple things seem to work out to be the best in the long run. The basics of a birthday, for Lewi, seem to be:
* getting together with friends
* having access to an open space to play, run and explore
* a birhday cake to top it all off.

All the stress and fuss that holding a party brings isn't really worth it, in my opinion. Next year we'll do a similar kind of thing so that all the other important parts of the birthday celebrations can be enjoyed and appreciated. Each year I interview Lewi about the things he likes, doesn't like, his favourite things and so on. We take foot and hand prints. I write him a letter about his past year. We read birthday related books - like Happy Birthday. We discuss his birth with him and how I felt when he came into this world. We have a special birthday breakfast of whatever he likes (every year since he turned 3 it's been croissants with mango and berries). These things all help him to feel celebrated and appreciated and I love to relish in them rather than rushing them to fit them into the busy day ahead.

I really do love celebrating birthdays. I think every human being needs to feel special and remembered on their birthday. I now have better focus on what's really important and I have finally found a way to have a stress-free day - well, as stress-free as this Mumma gets at least.

Maths

Mon, 5 Dec 2005 14:24:00 -0600

I'm astounded at how interested in maths Lewi is becoming. We have done no formal, school type maths at all. Following a natural learning style, we have just had fun with maths and been exposed to it in the everydays of life.

We have a few maths orientated games which we play as well as some maths manipulatives that Lewi gets out from time to time. Lately he's been enjoying the old cuissenaire rods. I've made up some matching cards to go with the rods which he also plays with. We sometimes play snap and other card games with them.

The other day Lewi said, as we were leisurely walking along:

"Mumma, are two threes plus one seven?"

After picking my jaw up from the ground (so to speak!) I said, that they were.

He then said: "So, two fours plus one equals nine?"

Again, I answered, yes that's right.

Quietly, inside myself, I felt excited. Knowing that his little brain was going through the process of working out maths concepts that seemed well above him (in a school sense). He was tackling concepts we'd never much discussed, well, not purposefully at least. Multiplication of this sort was usually for much older children. The teacher in me started rearing her head again.

A few days later Lewi was sitting on the verandah, mouthing something to himself. He then asked: "So, three fours are twelve?"

This was too much for me. I jumped up and down, excitedly asking how he works all these things out. I performed such a non-unschooling display. I excitedly yelled: "I can't believe you know how to work this stuff out. How do you do it? How did you work out how to do this? We've never discussed this, matey."

What a poor, poor example of natural learning guidence I showed. The schooly in me was just bursting. I wanted to ring someone up and tell them all about it (yes, I've felt this feeling before!).

Since then Lewi has shown me what he does and how he comes to the answers for multiplication. He has a few different ways of working it out. Sometimes he'll run out of fingers so he grabs a pen and paper and makes marks on the page to help him. I've shown him none of this. This has all totally come from him.

Natural learning, once again, at it's best!

Why do I continually feel so surprised at what goes on in our house, learning wise? Why do I, subconsciously doubt it all the time? Why can't I just accept that of course learning is happening, even the 'school type' stuff will be learnt in my child's own time?

Inside, I am jumping for joy that my child isn't going to miss out on the things that school kids get. Inside I am relieved that he will be able to read and write and do maths like the majority of the population. Theoretically (of the unschooling type)though, and deep within me (under the initial inside 'schooled' layer!) I shudder at these feelings. I don't want them. I want to be much more free about the learning that's occuring for Lewi. By that I mean that although he is free to learn whatever he likes and I don't structure his day at all, I don't think freely. I'm still caught up in the school way of things. I haven't properly deschooled myself. I need to. I desperately need to. The proof's in the pudding. My child is learning naturally at his own pace. He doesn't have to learn all that schooly stuff. He can learn more. He can learn less. He can learn other things that are of far greater importance. He is free to simply learn.

I need to deschool enough to contain myself and stop reacting to the amazing things that Lewi does, in my mind. They are not amazing to him. They are just facets from the puzzle of life that he is fitting together for himself. It's a miracle and it's a delight to watch but it's just life to him and I need to stand back and let him live it.