Inadequate

One of the banes of my walk as a home-learning mama are the feelings of inadequacy that ebb and flow. Sometimes the immensity of being responsible for fostering a lifelong love of learning in my three charges feels very overwhelming. On the "good" days when the household runs smoothly, we're all happy and relaxed, enjoying one anothers company and our learning I finish the day feeling proud of the environment I'm helping to create.

Then there are plenty of "other" days when I struggle to press down the inadequacy, panic when it bubbles back up to the surface, question whether we should have "outsourced" this aspect of our parenting, and I rush to the 'workbook' cupboard and make the girls sit up at the table. At least if they "look" as if they're learning I'm doing something right, right?

Or if I have pretty displays then visitors will think I have it all together and won't worry about what my children are missing out on at school?

Or if I have a real pencil sharpener then I'm a "real" teacher, right?

I wrap the memories of the "good" days around me as I tell the children it's "Mummy's turn to use the sharpener".

Peer Pressure

Ever since The Bean Bag posted about darn Maycey's Glo Harts I have had bad, bad cravings for them. I had a small fix when my sister saved a few off her M8's birthday cake for me when we visited. Then the post arrived this morning and, Callooh! Callay!, she'd sent me my very own bag! I'm currently testing The Bean's theory about the headache.

A Theme

Lately...

February has been a jam-packed month for our family.

In the first week a friend and I attended a home-education conference to hear Andrew Pudewa on Writing. While I won't be rushing out to buy his resources, he was hugely encouraging of what we're already doing, and especially passionate about reading aloud good literature to your children.

A couple of days later we headed off on our first family camping holiday to the Bay of Plenty. What a fantastic time catching up with family and good friends, basking in the sun, eating too much icecream and getting in some much needed relaxation.

It's now back to reality as the year cranks into full gear. The downer of my return to Suburbia was eased by finding this stunning fabric canvas waiting for me. Thanks so much, Nikki. Completely undeserved but much appreciated!! Thanks also, for sharing my bottle of wine at the very "dry" Knittercino the other night so I didn't feel like a big lush;-) (The girls are buzzing that you sent me a card with my knitting scissors on the front.)

This wide-brushed, rough, very brown artwork was done by I5 yesterday to express some of her feelings about the naughty person who stole Daddy's computer gear from our place the night before. Yeah, that's you looking all brown and yucky, in a stupid burglar's hat, skulking about our place with the ciggie lighter you left behind. Derbrain!!

To end on a happy note, we're all looking forward to seeing my parents and their new puppy this weekend. M8 has an exciting schedule of activities planned for Louis although she is a little disappointed Grandma doesn't have a handbag to carry him around in. No doubt, pictures to follow.

Art Studio

Eggstra warm

These are what all the well-dressed eggs are wearing this winter. A bit of mindless evening knitting fun - Egg-Cozy Hats from 101 Designer One Skein Wonders.

Books

Reading is my great love! I keep wanting to talk to you about books but never get around to it but a couple of posts have prompted me this week.

First, Sarah Bean WOWED me with her post about the true power of self-education in Malawi. As a home-learning family also interested in development (and also having been to Malawi!) this really tickled our fancy. What an encouragement for us all to grasp our own education in our hands.

As always, my kindred spirit Rach, stimulates the brain cells from Off Her Bookshelf. How wonderful it was to meet someone struggling their way through Don Quixote too (waves at Karen as well).

Here's a wee tour of our bookshelves...

This one in the lounge is not big enough but holds my favourites. Do you check out people's bookshelves when you visit their home? I shamelessly do!

The kid's shelf in the dining room.

My recipe books crammed under my computer desk.

This basket usually holds our current reads from the library but this is the kid's Christmas book haul!

The children's selection from Wellington Library this morning. The book love can't be contained by our local library so I forked out some precious homeschool allowance to join the Wellington Library. Their Nostalgia section has proven a goldmine for M8's reading.

My Wellington Library choices.

The shelf in A2's bedroom.

M8's current read.

My craft books under my sewing table.

My bedside table.

My bedside floor.

My current "Bible" on top of my computer desk.

Before I come across as a high-brow literary snob I also have a bad glossy magazine habit which I've been unable to break.

My dream house will one day have huge in-built shelves all over the place but in the meantime we make do with what we have and ensure we utilise our libraries to their full potential.