Home Education - the starting post

Yesterday I finally felt like I was making some progress with starting to home educate my oldest. He is nearly 3 and a half so I don't want to rush him into school work, but he so wants to learn. Yesterday I drew a few letters in dot-to-dot form on a scrap piece of paper and asked tot if he would like to try drawing over the dots to form letters. He was very enthusiastic about it and loved the idea that he was forming letters all on his own! I had to keep showing him how to hold the felt tip properly but he really surprised me as we had tried this about 6 months ago and he was totally not interested. However, this time by the time we had finished he had written 1-10 and A-E in upper and lower-case. This morning I asked if he wanted to do some school work and he said, "Yes! I want to do school work right now!". He is so eager to learn new things and will just pick up books and look through them on his own if I am busy in the kitchen. We read books to him every day and he just loves them. It has made me realise that I think home education would be really beneficial to him and perhaps not as difficult for me as I thought. I am definitely swaying more for the home education yet I am still not ruling school out until the third one is here.

My new nephew

I don't see this blog as a daily journal where I should note down all that happens or concerns me. I have always thought of it more as a record of notable things that are happening in my life. I have failed to keep this updated though. On 26th November I became a proud Aunty to my brother's son and I haven't even put a post on my blog about him up until now! It is so difficult to find the time - that is the problem. Right now my boys are having bath time with Daddy. By the time they are both tucked up in bed (usually no earlier than 8.30pm by the time I have got the oldest one off) I am in no mood for thinking and just veg out (and recently fall asleep!) in front of the TV for the evening.

Anyway, I have met my new nephew twice now and he is lovely. I think he looks a lot like my brother did as a baby. I know they are going to find it hard as parents but I think once they have got to grips with it they will be great, and I look forward to many memorable family times that we can all share in the future.

Happy New Year - looking forward to 2010

Happy new year. I am very much looking forward to 2010 and what it may bring. It is likely that the most important and exciting thing that is going to happen to us this year is that we will be expanding our family! A new baby due in July! I am very happy about it as I wanted another baby. I have been a bit apprehensive about telling others though, worrying that their reactions may not be as enthusiastic. My dad made some comment about contraception although I think he was only joking really and I worried how my sister-in-law would be who has just one child through IVF, and my other friends who had been finding it hard to conceive there second while I'm onto my third already. But really I guess it is no one elses business except ours. We are the parents, the ones who will feed and nurture this baby, we are the ones who have let ourselves in for many more sleepless nights and headaches with three under 4s! But as difficult as it is sometimes being a mother is easily the best thing that has ever happened to me and I can't imagine my life without them.

Another thing to look forward to in 2010: we have just booked out summer holiday to Cornwall. We are going four weeks before my due date so I feel a bit nervous about that. But we decided that one last family holiday as the four of us would be good for the boys, even if that does mean I will be spending most of the time sitting on the beach like a beached whale - sounds quite relaxing actually, if only that was an option! Anyway, despite the cottage being in the middle of nowhere it is actually only about twenty minutes from a perfectly good hospital - will make sure it is programmed into the sat nav!

New Year's Resolutions : normally for me it used to be to give up smoking (did that five years ago now) and not drink as much - which I obviously don't do much of now that I'm pregnant. I think resolutions are for if you are unhappy about something in your life and you want to change it, and really I am quite happy with my life so I am finding it hard to come up with some resolutions. Maybe mine should be to watch what I spend more and not buy unnecessary extras at the spermarket. With number three on its way and only having the one income we need to be careful. There was a time when a trip to the supermarket meant a new toy for tot, but the fact that our lounge now looks like a toy shop has made me more firm about saying no, and they will have a gingerbread man instead.