Autumn is in the air, I can smell it and feel it, I can even see the subtle California signs of it in the trees and plants. This summer has been full and wonderful. We have spent so much time together, mostly positive and growth-inspiring. Many wonderful memories have been cast. One thing I didn't get a lot of was time to myself. I take one night per week, which had been meditation then hiking with the dog. I found hiking with the dog for a couple hours was what I needed more than zazen, so my meditation nights became hiking nights. This past Friday both boys were in the woods with Max's teacher and a bunch of other boys so I had five hours during the day to myself. Five Hours. Myself. If there is anything in Life As Mother/Partner that I find challenging, no time to myself is by far the most difficult for me. I am a solitary person. It is not that I need space away from my family, it's that I need space to myself. It isn't that I don't love their voices and conversations and ideas, it's that I need quiet at times. In order to hear my own voice and ideas. Most things I do are for and about my family. Time alone is all about me - not them. Which is another thing I find challenging about being a mother/partner, not feeling guilty for those needs.
In a short time our homeschooling year will begin at home and at our alternative school and Coleman will be there one day per week (more about that alternative school later). This will give me one day per week to myself. Max will spend another year at Tara Redwood, five days per week. I will be attending an evening class at our local community college twice per week. The rhythm or our days will be altered in one big autumnal movement towards new learning, new goals, new challenges, new people. Change. I will have more time alone and more time doing work independent of my family life. I will also have more intense one on one time with my boys. We will have a less free-form bedtime and outside scheduled structure to bring more definition to our days. Ah, savor the challenges of the moment I tell myself as I walk into this autumn ritual of a new school year and the New England season I miss most of all. This time of year I feel those 3,168 miles most of all.
Homeschooling thoughts:
You can find some ideas about setting homeschooling goals here. If you, like me, are slow to the table of planning...If you're looking for a good resource for all things homeschooling Simple Homeschool is a great place to begin, sign up for their email, it's all good. As with most readily available homeschooling info out there, if you are looking for secular information you may have to filter. I got over my aversion (mostly) to the religious slant of much of the homeschooling sites and blogs. Filter. Filter. Filter. I had to get over myself, as a Recovered Catholic (Sorry, Mum). Anyhow, a lot of the content is about the logistics of homeschooling, supporting the parent teacher, helping your children make good choices in life, the freedom to be individuals and not be ashamed of individuality. If we can do that, no mater the philosophy, we've done a good job.
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