More adventures

This past week has been a roller coaster ride for me. After deciding that we would take a possible move slowly and really think about it, we seemed to be starting to organise such a move much more quickly than I'd thought we would. The fact that our lease is up here at the end of the month was spurring us on. I've lost a lot of sleep trying to think things through in the quiet of the night. We decided it would be a good time to just go for it. However, after making that decision and actually telling people, I got very emotional. I thought "it's only been 6 months since I left a lot behind in the USA, now I've got to start again...again!" The facts that I was sleep-deprived and pre-menstrual didn't help and I spent about 24 hours crying at the drop of a hat. So we decided to wait 3 more months.

While we had been away, I enjoyed the freedom and flexibility and it reminded me strongly of when we were homeschooling. Once we got back and got into the school rhythm, I started thinking about the things about school that Sami enjoys - the stories that the teacher tells, learning the recorder and songs, drama and other languages. She likes some of the seated work. In a Steiner/Waldorf school, the approach to learning is very different to a mainstream school. It's very beautiful and Sami seems to respond to that. But there are some things about school that she just doesn't seem comfortable with. I don't need to go into it now, but it's had me weighing up all sides of the story. I've been so focused on Sami's feelings about school, that I wasn't paying much attention to AJ. He just seemed to fit right in and be having a good time. I have noticed some changes in his behaviour and it wasn't until the past week that I was able to put it together with what is happening at school. He's been playing more with some different kids and they are a bit disruptive He's been coming home with a cranky attitude and is getting distant. He used to greet me after school with a big hug, now he looks as though he doesn't even see me. The Steiner Kindergarten is a warm and beautiful place full of things to inspire the imagination. It's like a beautiful day care facility as academic education does not start until Class 1 in Steiner ed. But the last couple of days had me really thinking about whether it's the right place for AJ. Then weighing that up with Sami's stuff and I realised that maybe we really should move sooner rather than later.

We're leaving tomorrow for another little trip to the Sunshine Coast to look at areas, maybe some houses for rent and also to meet some of the local homeschoolers. I've been in touch with the co-ordinator of the local homeschool groups. There are at least 160 families in the area, a lot of whom follow the "natural learning" style that we used to. While we are up there, a lady who is quite big in the "natural learning" movement in Australia, will be giving a little seminar on the topic. We're going to go along which will be a great way to meet other families in the area, especially for the kids to meet other kids and (hopefully) get excited about moving there. And it will be good for Cary and I to reinforce the mindset that goes along with this lifestyle. I'm excited, though a bit overwhelmed at what may be coming up and all that is involved with moving again.