Leaps and bounds

At 2 years old, Miss V has already mastered the alphabet song!!

Actually, better make that the "A B C" song...

A, B, A, B, A, B, C.
A, B, A, B, abby, abby, C.
A, B, C.
A, B, C.
A, B, C, B, A, B, C.
A, B, C, B, A, B, C.... Now I no more A B C!

Pip!
Ray!

Teachable Moments

We are really getting into this new home learning routine, especially the 'teachable moments'. Today was packed full of them...

This morning Miss F informed me that I had my shirt on backwards. She suggested I slow down tomorrow morning and enjoy the moment. "'Cause clothes are fun if you make them fun, Al." She also threw in a little positive role modelling with, "My dress in on the right way, see? 'Cause I'm a big girl. It's good to be a big girl sometimes, Al. Will you give it a try?"

Then I spent 20 minutes trying to put Beezie the mini foxy's collar on Whip, the dalmatian. Miss V eventually brought me the right lead and gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder. She then pointed out that Whip's lead is red and Beezie's lead is blue. "See, different."

While we were out walking, Miss J reprimanded me for only looking twice, not three times, before crossing the road. Then before we could cross the road she lead us in a round of, "This is the way we look for cars, look for cars, look for cars. This is the way we look for cars, then cross the road together."

This afternoon I went to walk out the front and Miss F said, "Careful, Al."
Then I tripped on the loose step I'd be warning the girls to be careful of all day.
When I tripped I stubbed my toe so I asked J if I could have a band aid from her doctor's kit. She said, "You don't really need one mum. The 'dorphins (aka endorphins) will make it better soon." (I only just resisted the urge to retort, "But I want a BAND AID!")

Finally, while making dinner tonight I discovered I'd forgotten something at the supermarket. When Miss F found out she said, "That's what happens when you don't make a list, Al. So what can you do next time for a better outcome?"

I know we're kind of new to this whole home learning thing, but I still can't help feeling like there's something not quite right with this picture...

School's in!

Yesterday I decided I wanted to do something special with the girls, to celebrate the beginning of our home learning adventure. I thought about a party, I thought about shopping for our learning area together, I thought about going away for a night somewhere, but nothing really seemed appropriate.

Driving home from Nelly's obedience class this morning I spotted a garage sale. We love garage sales, so I stopped and we got out to have a look.
That's when we saw it.
Our school bell.

Miss J said, "It's for us, isn't it mum? Isn't it waiting for us?!"

Miss V started stroking it and declared it a "Kewl bell!"
Miss F gave it a hug and said, "Don't worry, you can come live with us now."
Nelly gave it the ultimate sign of approval - She didn't pee on it.

The owner of the bell told us that she had refused to sell it to five people already this morning, because she was waiting for the right family. She asked the girls if the bell would have a good home with us. They all nodded in earnest and Miss J said, "You can come visit any time you want."

Miss F wrapped the bell in her pink jumper, so it wouldn't be scared, and Miss V made sure I put it on the front seat and buckled the seat belt, so it would be safe.

At home we polished it and chose a tree to hang it from. Miss F picked it a flower, Miss J sang it a song, and Miss V gave it the very first test ring.
It sounds magnificent!

I asked Miss V what she though about our new school bell, she said:
"No mum, it's not a school bell. It's a kewl bell."

I couldn't agree more.

Craziness!

After the recent daycare incident, I vowed not to send the girls back there on the days that NDP was there. As it turns out, NDP is there every day, so I decided it was time to check out a more 'alternative' (similar to Steiner) childcare centre with the girls.

As far as first impressions go, this centre was fabulous. We were greeted by one of the teachers as soon as we walked in. She talked to me about their 'child directed' approach to learning, told me about their programs and showed us around the building. Very impressive.
The girls were drawn to the 'library', which was a cute little corner space with lots of book shelves and posters on the walls. Miss F pointed to a poster titled "My Body", with a picture of a boy in boxer shorts and words with arrows pointing to different body parts. The teacher sat down to read the poster with her and helped her work out the words by identifying which body part the arrow was leading to. Again, very impressive.
When they'd been through all the words Miss F asked, "Is that a boy?". The teacher answered yes and then Miss F asked, "Why doesn't he have a penis?"

I was hoping the teacher would follow my "child's direction" and talk to her about public and private body parts. She could have even just acknowledged that Miss F had a point and moved on. Instead she replied "Excuse me, Miss - We don't talk like that here." Miss F was puzzled and asked, "Why not?". The teacher said, "Because it is rude."
Just as I was about to intervene, Miss F said, "No - Touching is rude. Talking is good."
We left not long after that when the teacher confirmed that they did not cover, or even acknowledge sexuality in any way, shape or form.

After this experience today I am seeing the whole daycare situation in a completely different light.
I am disappointed that a teacher at such an open minded and supposedly 'alternative' centre, has such closed and ignorant views on sexuality education. I am also enormously proud of Miss F and her super kewl line, "Touching is rude. Talking is good."
Seeing the the kewl girls grow into empowered little people, with active minds and BIG voices is exciting and rewarding beyond anything I ever imagined. It is a fantastic feeling, knowing that they are taking on the sexuality education and self protection skills I value so much.
But even though I love that the girls have these skills - they should not need to have them to protect themselves from carers at daycare. Their carers should be teaching them about sexuality and self protection, not the other way around.
I could talk forever about the reasons I place such a high value on sexuality education, but that's not the point of this post.

The point is that I think sexuality is one of the most important areas of the girls' development - But no matter which daycare they go to I will never be able ensure that their carers have or appreciate sexuality education.
And I've realised that this is not good enough for me.
I am no longer prepared to let other people be responsible for my children if they do not have the sexuality knowledge I think is necessary.

So as of today, we are going to be home learners!

I've always intended to give the girls the option of homeschooling. Daycare (then kinder) was going to be our way of deciding whether this would suit us or not. Well, we have decided a little earlier than planned! The girls already go to a home learning group once a week and it is here that they really thrive, not daycare. They might be too young for 'schooling', but they love learning and I don't believe daycare is the right place for them to learn any more.

I'm excited about this decision, about what it will mean for the girls and for us as a family. No doubt things will get a little crazy while we work out a new routine, but we like a little crazy and I think we do it pretty well!

Of course, changes in the kewl house will mean changes for the kewl blog, and I'm looking forward to sharing the stories and the kewl home learning moments that we're bound to have. I hope that they don't put you kewl people out there to sleep and that you all want to stick with us, because I really do love sharing our moments!

Finally, I want to thank a few kewl bloggers in particular, who's posts have helped me with this decision...

Paula wrote about choosing to be with her son instead of advancing career. She said “No other time in my life will I have this opportunity....to raise my son as I see fit 24 hours a day. I am tired of leaving him with someone else. There is plenty of time for that later on." Although meant in a slightly different context, these words prompted me to reassess my own priorities and made me realise what a once in a lifetime thing this whole child raising gig is.

PreSchool Mama always has brilliant ideas and activities that are both fun and educational. I'll be using this blog for inspiration!

Montessori Free Fall is a recent discovery and one that has already taught me so much about home learning with toddlers. Upon reading this blog, home learning somehow seemed easy to see as a reality, rather than an ideal.

Megan posted about achieving a work / life balance. In order to home learn with the girls I will need to cut back on my work commitments and say goodbye to some people and places that I love. This post made me again reassess my priorities and also offered me a better perspective - I now see work as a hobby and home life as my job.

Thanks ladies!

Now I'm off to print out some activities for our first ever "preschool time" tomorrow...

Wish me luck!!!

Direction

This is a Heads or Tails Tuesday post.

The theme this week is 'Direction', and I'm going to interpret it as the "Where to from here?" kind of direction.
I know this is a question I've often asked myself, especially in times of stress or sadness, and I've sometimes struggled to find an answer.
During those times, these words offer me comfort, strength and direction.


When the heart
Is cut or cracked or broken
Do not clutch it
Let the wound lie open

Let the wind
From the good old sea blow in
To bathe the wound with salt
And let it sting.

Let a stray dog lick it
Let a bird lean in the hole and sing
A simple song like a tiny bell
And let it ring

Let it go. Let it out.
Let it all unravel.
Let it free and it can be
A path on which to travel.

Michael Leunig

Oops...

We bought new winter pj's today, and they came with fluffy socks. They are super kewl. We put them on as soon as we got home, just after lunch.
It's amazing how spending a relaxed, rainy, Sunday afternoon inside in your pj's can warp your mind.

I know some people love it. I am not one of those people.

In my 'pj before 6pm' induced haze, I decided it would be fun to test out the new kewl fluffy socks on our polished floors.

WOAH! What a slide! I flew up and down the hall, zoomed around the kitchen and slid between doorways singing - "OOWW! I feel good! Dana nana nana na... " - Really, really loudly.

That's when it happened. My mind was so warped I completely lost my already shaky grip on reality... And I taught the girls how to slide, too.

Yes, I, Alison Notso Kewl, taught three toddlers how to slide along polished floors whilst wearing slippery socks.

And now they won't stop.

And I can't make them, because I taught them.

What have I done?!

Well Sor-ry!

I have a stash.

Of chocolate.

I hide it in the freezer and only ever bring it out after the girls' bedtime so they don't see it and make me share.

As soon as the coast was clear last night I put on a CD (Jethro Tull, Best Of) and raided my stash for the biggest piece of chocolate I could find. I was reclining on the couch, enjoying my antioxidant packed goodness, when I choked on my own saliva.
Nice.

After a good few minutes of loud, breathless coughing, sweet and intuitive Miss F appeared by my side. She knelt down and put her head on my knees, looking up at me.
Awww.

When my strangled coughs subsided long enough for her to get a word in, she sat up and said, "Mum.. I can't sleep with all this noise, you know."