Our official start of our schooling year begins tomorrow. It was supposed to start last Tuesday but life happens ; ). No big plans here just going to sit down together and do a wee bit of sheet work and hang out. Since we practice life learning with a tiny bit of 'curriculum' thrown in we 'school' all the time. Today Eoin asked to work with the French version of Rosetta Stone language programming, Seamus and Liam worked with Sculpey to design new character models, and I did some tissue paper art.....I will post some pictures when it is finished. Eoin made the salad for dinner all on his own, with a knife and everything...yikes! They very thoughtfully worked on their 'talk to me about....breastfeeding' signs. Curious about that one... you will have wait and see.
This year, like the last, we will have our 'schooling days' on Tues, Wed, and Thurs with a really long weekend on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Our 'schooling' hours will be in the a.m and we will be done before lunch....... so don't call me, 'cause you will mess me up! I would like to get some great 'field trips' in this year too, any suggestions would be great. We are going to a special display at the museum this week and then a medieval event at the museum next month. I am sure we will take a skiing trip... or two if the finances allow.... man that is an expensive sport!!! We usually go to a Stratford Festival play but here is a secret about me....I HATE MUSICALS, I REALLY DON'T LIKE THEM!!! I know Stratford doesn't only have musicals and for that I am grateful but the ones that were appropriate for the boys were musicals. Since the boys didn't seem interested in any this year either it probably isn't going to happen.
The boys start the guitar lessons this week too. Eoin is going into his second year and Liam has decided to give it a whirl. We bought a new electric guitar that sounds infinitely better than the cheapy one he worked with last year and an amp that will blast the neighbours. Thank goodness we live in the woods. Their music teacher is a young guy in his twenties who was an amazing mentor for Eoin last year. He had just the right amount of cool, humour and motivational attitude. He doesn't take himself or the lessons too seriously that it makes it unenjoyable for the kids. Eoin keeps wanting to go back to the lessons which says a lot because Eoin doesn't often like getting up and going to things that are redundant. I love that the boys can hang out with this guy.
I love homeschooling.... we get to fit all that in with other things on top like Cubs, swimming lessons, meeting with friends, my daytime meetings, dentist appointments, hair cuts, groceries..... and it isn't overwhelming. We don't have the 'over full schedule syndrome' that seems to befall families these days. We are not running out right after eating, if there is time to eat together because the kids just got off the bus and it is off to this activity or that activity. We get to enjoy our days, can't beat that in my so humble opinion. The boys get to live a lower stress life for the time being. Not stress free because....well they have to live with me and I am certainly not a no stress woman.
Sounds like fun! :)
ReplyDeleteJust curious...if you guys were to adopt a 'school age' child do you think you would keep them in school (given they were already in school) or involve them in your home/life school (I mean it would be hard to uninvolve them in life school...but you know what I mean...will you put them on the bus every morning! lol)?
It is fun....or it can be fun most of the time...
ReplyDeleteThe simple answer would be 'yes'. If we adopt a school age child we will be bringing them into our fold, and our lifestyle includes homeschooling.
The more complex answer would be that it is seeming more likely that an adoption might be preceded by a foster with an intention to adopt situation. If the child is not a "crown ward without access" they are not eligible for adoption and therefore the Children's Aid Society and sometimes the birth family would have the say in education since we would be the foster parents until the child is official placed for adoption. Homeschooling is not an option for CAS.
We would also take into account the desire the child has to remain or leave school to some degree if they are older.