Reflections on the week

We've had quite a successful start to the homeschooling year. Maestro still likes to just 'get on with the job' and works through his books in a very orderly fashion. Mariposa alters her routine; one day beginning with Maths, another day Music or English. I'm especially pleased that her reading has gone up a level as she's beginning to become much more fluent. She told me her secret today: "If I sound the word out in my head, I can just say the word and then I read quicker!" YAY! She's getting it!

I've been catching myself out, wondering WHY my children have learnt so differently. Sometimes I've thought it's because I've not spent as much time with the younger as I did the elder. Firstborns always get lots of extra one on one time. But, in fact, they do learn so differently, and it's taken me time to realise what makes the lessons 'click'. I'm realising I need to ask the children, "How would you figure this out?" or "What made you think of using that (word, sentence .. ) ?" This is where I begin to really enjoy teaching, and I'm not teaching a class of 25 children anymore, they're MY CHILDREN!!

As we've been plodding along through the week, mindful of all the recent events with the bushfires and how that's affected friends, the focus has definitely been shifting from ticking off the list of work to be done. Instead we've really been focusing on talking about events, helping those we can, and trying to take better care of our animals and plants (the silverbeet is trying to make a comeback). The children are keen to become wildlife carers after seeing a flyer on the supermarket notice board, but after looking up some information, I don't think we'd be qualified enough to do this. However, we've heard they do need clean pillowcases, so we can still donate and help in some small way! Becoming a carer may be something to work towards after we get more training.

Sometime during next week, we'll be getting ready to organise restructuring the chicken coop. I've been sketching out a few plans and I asked Maestro to help measure it out today. The aim is to enclose it a bit more, into a cube shape, with a separate nesting box accessible from the outside. We'll keep the plumber's piping as the frame, so it'll stay light-weight, but I want to weather proof it some more (perhaps with plywood?) and discourage some cheeky crows and carrawongs from stealing our eggs. I'll keep you informed about our goings-ons in that department. :)

Another great idea I want to consider is making a homemade wind generator (thanks to Fliztea for letting me know about this!) I think this would be a great project for hubby and Maestro to work on together - and of course us girls will probably be just as keen to get involved too!