Showing posts with label King Arthur. Show all posts
When it Rains...
You know that saying? "It never rains, it pours"? Well folks that's how I feel this weekend! I cannot belive the pace of the last two weeks - a friend referred to life during the term as 'warp speed' once, and I so feel like I'm living in that!
After our interesting start last week and our shocking first day of school, I had so hoped that this week would begin, and remain, better. And we did start better, and then things got a little complicated when on Tuesday an enormous fire threatened to devour the houses along the perimeter of the Estate we live in.
I was at the beach at the time (with two young Zimbabwean girls thrilled to be at the sea!), really enjoying a wind free beach at St James. I had deliberately left my phone in the car, in a rebellious state of just not wanting to be able to be reached all the time at every moment. So imagine my surprise when upon my return to the car I find 11 missed calls! From people I know well who do not panic!!!
I quickly realized how serious the situation was, and managed to raise my parents-in-law to try and get to the house to help. I am so thankful for my neighbors and friends within the Estate who lent a helping hand, as well as our twice a month gardener -without them, my house would not be standing today! So very thankful...but the ash? Well that's another story...it covered the garden like black snow...
For those of you interested, here's a video my father in law took to illustrate my point!
Overall, now at the end of week two, I can say it's gone better than than week one, although I have had to realize again just how different my children are. I am so thankful I have the privilege of homeschooling them and tailor making their education, although it is challenging and daunting at the same time. After having a tearful meltdown in Brent's arms the one night, I've had to tweak and adjust things, as Aragorn's learning styles are completely different to King Arthur's: it's the subtle challenge of carrying on stretching King Arthur, while at the same time supporting and encouraging Aragorn at the start of his journey. Bended knees people, and a good dose of tears!
Cape Explorers kicked off again this week, and when the outings are ones that I am personally responsible for it seems to knock me for a 6 (I guess especially after the week!). The outing went swimmingly, and I love those kids to bits...but, imagine my surprise then, thinking I was coming home to put my feet up and relax for a bit when I discovered our landlady had employed some folk to strip and replace a roof that has been leaking for years! In the pulling up of the old roof sheeting, ash had re-covered everything! Sob! And they weren't able to finish yesterday...and left a large hole...and so when it poured with rain today...well, need I say more? Sob sob!
So surely, surely, next week cannot top this?
Clear Eyes. Full Hearts. Can't Lose!!
After our interesting start last week and our shocking first day of school, I had so hoped that this week would begin, and remain, better. And we did start better, and then things got a little complicated when on Tuesday an enormous fire threatened to devour the houses along the perimeter of the Estate we live in.
I was at the beach at the time (with two young Zimbabwean girls thrilled to be at the sea!), really enjoying a wind free beach at St James. I had deliberately left my phone in the car, in a rebellious state of just not wanting to be able to be reached all the time at every moment. So imagine my surprise when upon my return to the car I find 11 missed calls! From people I know well who do not panic!!!
I quickly realized how serious the situation was, and managed to raise my parents-in-law to try and get to the house to help. I am so thankful for my neighbors and friends within the Estate who lent a helping hand, as well as our twice a month gardener -without them, my house would not be standing today! So very thankful...but the ash? Well that's another story...it covered the garden like black snow...
Cleaning up a house covered in ash is no small task...especially when one is trying to use one's mornings to homeschool! So again, another huge learning curve: what is homeschool really about? I know in my head that the fire was a real life learning experience, but the Perfectionist in me, the Box Ticker, cannot abide how many things we are 'not' getting done! So...a deep breath, and a letting go that this week is yet another one that has not gone according to 'plan'!
Cape Explorers kicked off again this week, and when the outings are ones that I am personally responsible for it seems to knock me for a 6 (I guess especially after the week!). The outing went swimmingly, and I love those kids to bits...but, imagine my surprise then, thinking I was coming home to put my feet up and relax for a bit when I discovered our landlady had employed some folk to strip and replace a roof that has been leaking for years! In the pulling up of the old roof sheeting, ash had re-covered everything! Sob! And they weren't able to finish yesterday...and left a large hole...and so when it poured with rain today...well, need I say more? Sob sob!
So surely, surely, next week cannot top this?
Clear Eyes. Full Hearts. Can't Lose!!
the First day...
Today, Belle began her first day in the Tiger's Class....
...complete with a hand me down Tiger back pack which she was thrilled with! Belle's report on her first day? "Mom, I had an awesome day!"
(Oooh, she also had her first ballet lesson which she just loved!)
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, ...
I will never forget King Arthur's face when he returned from his morning ride, came around the door and saw this sign - his face lit up and he beamed...from ear to ear. I'm so pleased I followed through with the inkling I had, because it seemed almost a silly thing to do...but it's those small things, the things we can so easily brush aside that speak loudest to our kids, and even those around us. Somehow, this little sign and taking the photo affirmed them and boosted their whole day (they were so eager to show Dad when he came home too). Aragorn? That boy has been excited for weeks, and his enthusiasm was at an all time high the whole day!
Our day went well. Strike that. The first hour and a half of our day went swimmingly. Braveheart has kindly agreed to take Belle to school on the way to work, which has transformed my mornings. Now without me leaving the house in the mornings we gain so much time. Morning chores were done by 0730, and school started at 8. We got so much done....
Then I decided we would take a break and go off and get our puncture fixed. Well, the day went downhill from there. Let's just say, a Toyota Verso's wheels confound my local fitment centre; it took longer than expected; Braveheart still had my debit card; my new credit card didn't work and then after yet ANOTHER walk to the mall, it failed to work altogether. My day was HIJACKED. By admin. Grr. I had a good cry and a blow out, and said goodbye to the two and half hours of stress, spent the rest of the afternoon doing co-curricular lifting, and then finally got home to make our traditional "Back to School" cake (ahem, this was disastrous, just to top off the day)!
Anyhow. So here I am. Holiday? What holiday?! I know that today will pass, that tomorrow is another day, but seriously, what a way to start the term!
The only thing that keeps reverberating in my mind is (for all your Friday Night Lights fans)
And I may just have to print that out very big and stick it in front of my desk!
Hope your start of school has gone well!
...complete with a hand me down Tiger back pack which she was thrilled with! Belle's report on her first day? "Mom, I had an awesome day!"
(Oooh, she also had her first ballet lesson which she just loved!)
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, ...
 |
| (I actually took this :)) |
I will never forget King Arthur's face when he returned from his morning ride, came around the door and saw this sign - his face lit up and he beamed...from ear to ear. I'm so pleased I followed through with the inkling I had, because it seemed almost a silly thing to do...but it's those small things, the things we can so easily brush aside that speak loudest to our kids, and even those around us. Somehow, this little sign and taking the photo affirmed them and boosted their whole day (they were so eager to show Dad when he came home too). Aragorn? That boy has been excited for weeks, and his enthusiasm was at an all time high the whole day!
Our day went well. Strike that. The first hour and a half of our day went swimmingly. Braveheart has kindly agreed to take Belle to school on the way to work, which has transformed my mornings. Now without me leaving the house in the mornings we gain so much time. Morning chores were done by 0730, and school started at 8. We got so much done....
Then I decided we would take a break and go off and get our puncture fixed. Well, the day went downhill from there. Let's just say, a Toyota Verso's wheels confound my local fitment centre; it took longer than expected; Braveheart still had my debit card; my new credit card didn't work and then after yet ANOTHER walk to the mall, it failed to work altogether. My day was HIJACKED. By admin. Grr. I had a good cry and a blow out, and said goodbye to the two and half hours of stress, spent the rest of the afternoon doing co-curricular lifting, and then finally got home to make our traditional "Back to School" cake (ahem, this was disastrous, just to top off the day)!
 |
| The kids love sticking their toys on a Back to School cake! |
The only thing that keeps reverberating in my mind is (for all your Friday Night Lights fans)
Clear Eyes. Full Hearts. Can't Lose!
And I may just have to print that out very big and stick it in front of my desk!
Hope your start of school has gone well!
Homeschooling and a Highlight
Elizabeth Ann fell back on the bench with her mouth open. What crazy things the teacher said! She felt as though she was being pulled limb from limb.This wonderful excerpt is taken from Understood Betsy, by Dorothy Canfield Fisher, and is part of Core B of the Sonlight Curriculum we follow. We've really been enjoying this read-aloud: it's about the gradual blossoming of a very sheltered nine year old girl in the 1900's, as she is exposed to learning in every day life once away from her over-protective and very traditional aunt. This excerpt actually made me go cold, as it just spoke so deeply to me about the way that we label our children, whether or not they are in mainstream schools or schooled at home.
"What's the matter?"asked the teacher, seeing her bewildered face.
"Why - why, " said Elizabeth Ann, "I don't know what I am at all. If I'm second-grade arithmetic and seventh-grade reading and third-grade spelling, what grade am I?"
The teacher laughed. "You aren't any grade at all, no matter where you are in school. You're just yourself, aren't you? What difference does it make what grade you're in? And what's the use of your reading little baby things too easy for you just because you don't know your multiplication table?"
"Well for goodness' sakes!" ejaculated Elizabeth Ann, feeling very much as though somebody had stood her suddenly on her head.
"What's the matter?" asked the teacher again.
This time Elizabeth Ann didn't answer because she herself didn't know what the matter was. But I do, and I'll tell you. The matter was that never before had she known what she was doing in school. She had always thought she was there to pass from one grade to another, and she was ever so startled to get a glimpse of the fact that she was there to learn how to read and write and cipher and generally use her mind, so she could take care of herself when she came to be grown up. Of course, she didn't know that 'til she did come to be grown up, but in that moment, she had her first dim notion of it, and it made her feel the way you do when you're learning to skate and somebody pulls away the chair you've been leaning on and says, "Now, go it alone!
Our children are so much more than the grade they are in. Their learning should be about so much more than just getting from one year to the next. And on that note, it's been such a beautiful golden week here, beginning to see the fruit of out homeschooling coming out in our eldest child.
this is why I love homeschooling....
I get to be a part of it all.
The End of a Year!
So...this is it...the end....
... of our first official year of homeschooling, King Arthur's Grade 1 year! And the last few weeks have been busy!
King Arthur competed in a gymnastics competition in which he came third, which was just so lovely for him, as he had tried really hard to earn a trophy this season.
King Arthur and I did our own evaluation of the year, looking through his file of work and talking through all the things we've covered. Then I scribed his own evaluation of the year, which was so insightful. We identified problem areas, and talked through possible solutions. Try this with your kids - just keep asking them leading questions. I was thrilled with the insight Elijah had as to how to make next year work better for him, and we talked through some of the ideas I have already had. (It might help also to show them photos of the things you've done together during the year, or perhaps to even make a collage?)
Maths is his biggest challenge, and not because he finds it difficult, but because, in his own words, it's just so boring". When asked what he thought a solution could be he replied, "Not do any?". It's got to make you smile hey?! Needless to say after a little more brainstorming we decided that we'd do less of it every day, and I'd try to create some appropriate games for him. And it leaves me the same question that has haunted me all year. There's a fine line between frustration with a subject that actually has a character issue at the heart of it (does the child need to learn perseverance?), and whether the chosen method unnecessarily frustrates the child (should I be using a more visual/kinasethic program?). I'm glad I've got the holidays to think this through a little more.
Interestingly enough his highlights of each day were the Read Alouds (his favorite was Dolphin Treasure, and least liked was Mary on Horseback - when asked why he commented that everyone seemed to be sick/die in it!) and Art.
To celebrate the end of his year, we decided to join the CHE prize giving which was held at the Giraffe House this year.... I didn't realize I would be awarding my own certificate, and my emotions got the better of me and I was unable to say anything coherent at all!!!
And now...onto holiday fun!
Happy Holidays!
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| Sonlight's Core A - done and dusted! |
... of our first official year of homeschooling, King Arthur's Grade 1 year! And the last few weeks have been busy!
King Arthur competed in a gymnastics competition in which he came third, which was just so lovely for him, as he had tried really hard to earn a trophy this season.
 |
| a little nervous being up there on his own... |
 |
| proud! |
King Arthur and I did our own evaluation of the year, looking through his file of work and talking through all the things we've covered. Then I scribed his own evaluation of the year, which was so insightful. We identified problem areas, and talked through possible solutions. Try this with your kids - just keep asking them leading questions. I was thrilled with the insight Elijah had as to how to make next year work better for him, and we talked through some of the ideas I have already had. (It might help also to show them photos of the things you've done together during the year, or perhaps to even make a collage?)
Maths is his biggest challenge, and not because he finds it difficult, but because, in his own words, it's just so boring". When asked what he thought a solution could be he replied, "Not do any?". It's got to make you smile hey?! Needless to say after a little more brainstorming we decided that we'd do less of it every day, and I'd try to create some appropriate games for him. And it leaves me the same question that has haunted me all year. There's a fine line between frustration with a subject that actually has a character issue at the heart of it (does the child need to learn perseverance?), and whether the chosen method unnecessarily frustrates the child (should I be using a more visual/kinasethic program?). I'm glad I've got the holidays to think this through a little more.
Interestingly enough his highlights of each day were the Read Alouds (his favorite was Dolphin Treasure, and least liked was Mary on Horseback - when asked why he commented that everyone seemed to be sick/die in it!) and Art.
To celebrate the end of his year, we decided to join the CHE prize giving which was held at the Giraffe House this year.... I didn't realize I would be awarding my own certificate, and my emotions got the better of me and I was unable to say anything coherent at all!!!
 |
| Having grown up with real wildlife practically on my doorstep I was a little sad their first exposure to 'wild' animals was through fences.... |
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| me blubbering away :) King Arthur just grinned at me, bemused! |
Happy Holidays!
