Im a homeschooler- We have almost survived Term 1!

Hello Hello.
Here I am, it's been a while since i've blogged.
Ive been busy trying to find the  balance between teaching Chi, catching up with friends and getting the housework done... It's a hard gig. I find myself longing for the time when I used to send the kids off and then laze around wasting time for an hour or so... the good old days... ;) Now I rush them out the door and try to get a bit of order to the place before I start teaching Chi... I feel like the clock and I are in a constant battle, i'm trying to slow it down but it just wants to race ahead... tick tock...

BUT I must say that the improvements that I have seen in Chi's confidence make this struggle SO WORTHWHILE!!! He keeps surprising me with his happiness and helpfulness. He looks out for his siblings and has become so much more responsible. His behaviour has improved considerably, he goes to bed happy, looking at books, instead of crying about horrible, hard school! Dont get me wrong, he isnt perfect by any means, but oh so much better. Others have also noticed that he is more confident and holds his head higher, this makes my heart soar.

Academically, I'm slowly seeing improvements. His reading is alot better than it was in week 1... still a  long way to go though. I don't need to coax him to read and write as much as I did at the beginning. He still resists alot of the time but doesn't have the total meltdowns that we were seeing.

Almost 1 term in and I'm still absolutely positive that we made the right decision pulling him out of school!! I dread to think where he would be if we hadn't!!!

Thanks to all those people who have commented on his blog and encouraged me along the way... some days a little encouragement goes a long, long way.

Alright, I must go, im writing Chi a message in Greek. Man im LEARNING lots!!!!!!

Love you all xxxx

Im a homeschooler!!!!!

Homeschooling...

Week 3 down and im exhausted! Im sitting here feeling like i've been drugged im that dopey.

I love it and I hate it...   an intricate twining of the too. I have cried and I have laughed, I have encouraged and I have been frustrated. My patience has been stretched BIG TIME! No wonder im exhausted!! Do I still think we made the right decision to pull Malachi out of school for a year?  Absolutely!

A friend of mine who homeschools once told me that homeschooling was really hard work and didnt recommend it unless you really knew it was what you were supposed to be doing... I shrugged her words off and thought, yeah, of course, but now I REALLY KNOW she was right!!


I am finding Malachi a challenge. He struggles big time with reading and writing and has decided that it is all too hard. I ask him to spell or write a word and he has a meltdown! My challenge is to stay calm and take baby steps... if I stay calm he is more likely to stay calm (sometimes). Although it is a nice break when he runs to his room crying cos it's all too hard and im so mean! I'm learning to accept that he isn't going to get it overnight and any pre-conceived ideas I had about him happily sitting with me, reading and producing all types of masterpieces have all gone flying out the window (for now). Malachi has built a wall, I believe it is a wall to protect his self-worth. It  causes him to shut down and not try when it seems too hard. I think he constructed it as a coping mechanism at school and now it is my job to pull it down, stone by stone and restore his confidence. I've learnt I need to encourage him to have a go, to reassure him that it doesnt matter if he gets it wrong, he is allowed to get it wrong. We wont think any less of him if he gets it wrong. He seems to be a bit of a perfectionist, and he would rather not try than get it wrong. It makes me so sad that he is so hard on himself, i just need to love and encourage him through it. In just 3 weeks, my patience has improved and im beginning to discover the learning strategies that work for Chi, and learning what not to say or do in order for him to stay calm and not get angry... we are both learning.

On a positive note, I am loving it! I feel so happy when he reads a word that he couldn't read a few days before. Or he understands something in Maths that he had never understood before... it's these moments that make all the frustrations worth it. He is my boy and he needs help and I can help him, what a privilege.

V Family Shoot

I was lucky enough to be asked to take some family shots for this very cute family. 

Here are some of my favorite :)

Hope you like them.

 

My Soul is well pleased

Sometimes you just need to kick your shoes off and put your feet in the water.
To feel the sand between your toes.
To feel the cold water splashing up your leg.
To smile.
To laugh
To enlighten the senses.
To feel alive.

My kids and I paddled today. Simple moments like these are the happiest. To be fully living in the moment, engaging with the ones most dear to you. To see the joy in their little eyes, to hear their innocent laughter. My soul is well pleased.

Moments like these cause me to connect with my creator, my God. I thank Him for all that he has given to me, my children, the sea and sand... He speaks to my soul. I feel blessed and grateful.

JANUARY GRATITUDE PROJECT: Day 11

Im so grateful that I had a daughter. I always wanted lots of daughters and instead ended up with 3 sons. I love that my girl is girly and likes to wear pretty clothes, like this skirt she wore today. I am so so so so thankful for my little girl.

JANUARY GRATITUDE PROJECT: Day 10

Tonight we went to the Park for a BBQ tea. The kids took their bikes, Chi took his tennis rackets and Elias his remote control car. Im so grateful for the long summer evenings, where we can BBQ and spend time doing things together as a family. I just loved seeing all the kids and Todd riding around together. I don't have a bike, I did attempt to play tennis, attempt really is the word. SO much fun!!!

JANUARY GRATITUDE PROJECT: Day 9

I am thankful for stops while on long car trips. This is Mattea at our Campbell Town stop.

Im also thankful for hand-me-downs. Taya was given this dress the day before from her cousin Oskana.