We Homeschool Now!

"One... two... three... four...," the four three year old children began counting as they cheerfully hopped down the stone, outdoor staircase. A smile came to my face. I looked to my left and my right, finding answering smiles in the grandmother and mother who were with me.

"This is homeschooling," one of them said contentedly to me.

We were at a park, letting the kids run around while the adults talked logistics. My daughter and her new friends held hands, played tag, picked flowers (which we had to tell them to stop, it's a park), chased ladybugs and collected leaves. It was wonderful.

This was one of the weekly meetings of our local homeschooling group.

That's one of the big changes I have been planning to tell you about, we are officially homeschooling now!

Dreamer turned four in May but we have been meeting often with other homeschooling families since January.  That might seem young to declare oneself a homeschooling family, since in many places school starts later. In our region of India the vast majority of children are in school at three. At latest perhaps by four. So we've been dealing with "where does she go to school?" questions for us on a weekly basis for well over a year. It began earlier than that, in fact, since people seek admissions into good schools far in advance, so I think I first dealt with this question when she around two.

But now a lot of her peers in America are also starting 4 year old kindergarten! On labor day I'll be doing a sort of "back to school" post about our plans for this year and next week I'll be talking about looking at philosophies and curriculum. This post is more an overview of how we got here! 

I fell in love with homeschooling years ago, in college. I realized that the majority of my close college friends, strong women who I admired, had been homeschooled. Finding out that this educational choice, which is rare in the overall population, was something more than half of the friends I was attracted to in college had in common made me pause and then research fervently. Before I graduated I had firmly fallen in love with the educational philosophy and homeschooling my own kids some day was a dream.

This was years before I met Ryan or had Dreamer, of course.

When Ryan and I met online and were talking I mentioned my passion. He was neither enthusiastic nor did he write it off immediately. He had literally never considered the possibility and of course we had years to discuss it.

And we did, off and on.

When Dreamer was two I brought it up and we both at least agreed we definitely didn't plan on putting her in school at three. Ryan and I both started school at five and found forcing small children to be in a classroom all day at such a young age to be ludicrous. I took this as we'd made a decision to keep her home while she was three, and when admissions season for when she was four would roll around again we'd decide once more which way to go. I thought we were taking it year by year.

Then in January 2017, a few months after we'd decided to keep her home at three, a school bus in our city caught on fire. Blessedly, the children all were able to be rescued. But I read the new story to Ryan and said, "That's something parents choosing a school wouldn't think to ask, whether the school buses had received proper maintenance."

Ryan's head jerked up.

"Why are you are worrying about choosing a school? I thought we were homeschooling!"

"What? I thought we hadn't officially decided. I mean, for this year, yes..."

"You don't want to homeschool now?! I thought this was what you wanted!"

"It is!"

So yes, basically we've been officially decided since January 2017. We are very much of the philosophy that kids shouldn't be pressured at this age and sort of have been "unschooling" for now... But more on that next week! 

My Son is One

I keep repeating that, appreciating the rhyme as the truth of it still seems incredible.

Part of the celebration was his first haircut! 

We had a small birthday party that was really a "play date with cupcakes" but which went off well. Pizza, watermelon and cupcakes (boxed mix with my mom's recipe for buttercream frosting.)

I am making it my mission to go back and back blog the months I've missed posting Rider's first year before another month goes by. Publicly announcing that. Let's see if that works to keep me on task.

He's been walking and talking since nine months. He can say hi, dane oo (thank you, used when we hand him something), Dada (for Daddy) , Mummy (for Mommy), Yaya (Ryan's mom), and just this week Ahma (for Grandmama, my mom). He has been climbing on and off furniture for at least two months.

He was a cute coo/squeak that means "yes" and most of how he communicates is pointing with his whole hand in the direction of what he wants (water, food, a toy, a person) and making a complaining noise, then if you ask him which he wants he'll make the happy coo. Like let's say he's pointing at the table that has a banana and a water bottle on it. "Do you want food?" I point to the banana. Unhappy noise. "You want water?" Point to the water. Happy noise.

He loves books and will listen to picture books happily. He laughed at the funny part of a book I was reading to Dreamer the other day. She then asked me to read it again, and again he laughed in the right spot, revealing he doesn't just like books as a concept but can follow the plot lines.

He also pays attention to TV and videos. Which at that age Dreamer did not, she just ignored it, so we need to be careful about that.

He is extremely playful and initiates games like peekaboo and others of his own imagining. He is always ready for a laugh and even blows raspberries on MY belly. He gives kisses and hugs too.

We are still breastfeeding. Which sadly with my hormones means I've gained a ton. I seem to barely gain at all in pregnancy, be lower than conception at about 2 months and then gain  gain gain. Now that he's a year old I plan on being more intentional about getting my weight in control since I won't be so worried about supply.

He and his sister are best friends. In the morning whoever wakes up first wants to wake up the other. Reminds me of Anna and Elsa at the beginning of Frozen. He is finally getting big enough to be able to play with Genevieve. That is she's played with him for a while, things like peekaboo or blowing raspberries. However now he can keep up and play games like tag and tries to play with blocks and stuff.

Happy birthday my beloved son! God chose to give you to us and we are supremely thankful!! I am looking forward to more of you.

My Three Year Old Is Not Starving

Just because my daughter is hungry, it doesn't mean I'm not feeding her.

This morning we started with the middle of a piece of toast. The middle because she doesn't like crusts (which she calls "peels", proving this is some weird inborn little kid preference, and not learned!) Then she had a bowl of cereal with milk. Kelloggs Fruit Magic Muesli, which is the only muesli (aka granola) we can buy in the store she can eat since she is allergic to nuts. She finished it, then abandoned her bowl and the baby grabbed her spoon and hit the bowl so hard it cracked in two. Seriously.

After throwing the bowl out safely, I responded to more whining about being hungry from Dreamer by giving her a banana. She ate like 3/4 of it. Then less than an hour later she begged for French toast.

After eating the middle of three pieces of French toast, she is currently eating an orange. It is not yet noon.

But I promise you if you asked her right now she'd say she's hungry and "starving". I get these looks, especially from "aunties" and I know they think she's withering away. She's not. She almost always acts like this whenever we go out, especially if she sees anyone eating anything. Unless of course you spend a lot of time and care on it-- then she'll eat one bite and be full.

Three year olds.

At a restaurant, probably telling her grandfather how starving she is. 

Ten Months

So this past month was a HUGE one for Rider!

it's almost impossible to get a still shot of him these days!

I ended my last monthly update saying that he'd be walking before ten months... I was right!

He took his first step at nine months, one week. I wasn't surprised, but I am impressed, I admit it.

What I didn't expect is that just two weeks later, he'd say his first word!

"Hi!"

I have a walking talking toddler... and he's just turned ten months!

5 Years Married!

Ryan and I have been married for five years now! First big round anniversary number!

Light Therapy

So the first AMAZING big change in my life allowing me to be busy? 

I am on a successful therapy for my sleeping disorder! 

Long term readers will know I have Non24 Hour Sleep Wake Disorder. It is a circadian rhythm disorder where my brain neurologically thinks the day is longer than 24 hours, making keeping a consistent schedule impossible without intervention. And I am truly blessed because for most N24 sufferers, nothing works. But as a sighted person with N24 one option open to me is light therapy.

I had tried light therapy with mixed success back when Dreamer was 8 months. I was trying to get on a schedule with her, and it sort of worked. I soon realized that I needed to combine it with melatonin. On the recommendation of my N24 support group I use a low dose, a quarter of a 3mg pill 1.5-2 hours before sleep. That worked fairly we we until Dreamer was a toddler.

My therapy light at the time was a stationary light box. I couldn't stay in one place at the exact same time every morning, Dreamer would need cereal and be running around. Plus I would want to get tea and go to the restroom and sometimes I wouldn't have the opportunity before I had to start. Additionally, Ryan working at nights mean if we were getting on a typical day schedule the overlap in our schedules was tiny. Which also meant no one had my back when the combo of Motherhood and sleeping disorder kicked my butt.

So I had to give it up, and I've attempted some since but with little success. Then this December I decided I'd try again, mainly to allow my daughter to participate in the upcoming holiday festivities. And... My therapy light had broken.

So I had to buy a new one... And I got a wearable!! Now I can get tea, feed the kids, etc while completing light therapy!!

And when it was clearly working Ryan talked to his bosses and got on a sort of second shift. He's not working a normal Indian day shift, but he's working 2:30pm to 11:30pm so he can wake up in the morning! The new shift is new and we are only 2 weeks in and it's not going smoothly yet, but we are hopeful.

But now I've been on a day schedule for two months and counting. And that's a miracle...

Busy Busy Busy!

Ryan and I at Christmas

I'm in a super blessed time in my life right now, lots of changes, super busy!

One thing that hasn't changed? I am a writer. I am realizing I am aching to blog for my sanity. But there will be no opportunity for perfection here. One reason I rarely blog is typically my photos aren't stored where I type or I don't have time to sit at a keyboard. I actually have... 46 blog post drafts. Yep, seriously. A lot of those are just never going to turn into posts because their time has passed, others I haven't deleted because I'm thinking oh maybe I'll glean a paragraph from that in the future and a lot of them are really good blog posts I really do want to get out there but they're not ready or I just haven't had time.

And I think that backlog and me thinking "I could write this, but I should write this first, and maybe I should do this" and I end up completely nothing, even if I do type, is causing me to just not be active on here at all. So that's stopping.

Dreamer playing dress up

I'm committing to blogging once per week from here on out. Not for you, though I totally am glad anyone still reading this is reading this, but for myself with the hope that once I get back into the swing of things I'll be back to a level where it's for you too. For now I think I'll probably put out posts that have no photos or maybe just a post that is the best photo I took this week. I may have long rants, I may have poems; I am not limiting myself. But even though it's a busy, busy, busy season I know blogging actually is very enjoyable to me.

I think basically the metaphor (which is also true right now) is I'm not physically fit. So instead of thinking I shouldn't put myself out there until I'm back to doing the same quality of reps or length of workout I was doing last time I was fit, I just need to get moving and do something.

I am looking forward to telling you about some of the several things I have going on, keeping me busy... besides the fact that Rider is walking now! (Rider, by the way, is my official blog name for my son. I actually decided that like seven months ago, but I don't think I've told you. I came up with it because he would always grab my hair like reins on a horse!) He is 9 months old currently.

Rider (blurriness is true in most of his photos,
he is rarely still!)

And I am still planning on back blogging a post about each month of his first year. I've never given up on that, the main reason that hasn't happened is time. My plan is basically just to sit down with my facebook profile and scroll through updates I posted about him back then, add one or more pictures and fill in with anything I remember then publish. So not hard, but time consuming to scroll and edit it together coherently. But likely when I do it, I'll do it all and you guys will suddenly have at least ten posts to read (since Rider will be ten months soon and I doubt it'll get done before then.)

This past weekend was my birthday weekend. I'm thirty-two years old now, and feeling fine about that. The last two years I struggled with my birthday, but this year it was just happy. Guess what readers in your twenties? The thirties are seriously the best so far. You're old enough to actually have a sense of the world and yourself and you're young enough your body hasn't really turned on you yet. You've probably accomplished at least a little, so you're not feeling as hopeless as at least I did in much of my twenties, but you also know you have time to still go after the things you haven't gotten to yet. It's a good place.

So... I'll see you at latest again next Tuesday, but hopefully before then, and I'll tell you about some of things I've been doing.