Why the doubt thing...again?!

The day started off lovely, sunny and really cold so we all went outside and the kids got involved in playing in the back yard. They spent a while collecting "firewood" and making a campfire while I was able to be on the front porch folding and hanging up washing. I then joined them and suggested I set up a teepee (made from bamboo) in the sun and they ate morning tea.

We had let the chickens out and the cheeky things had wandered up the top again to be where the action was (ie the kids) and plonked themselves in a nearby compost heap and began to have a dust bath. We literally sat in the warm sun and watched them do that for a good half hour until they were done. It was funny watching them flap and stretch and roll around and on top of each other, preening and kicking each other and we had a little laugh how it was kind of like watching Nathan and Danielle needling each other at times. Nathan was amused at seeing Moon (the black one) lying on her side and stretch her leg out and leave it there for a few seconds (and so was I!).

We then talked about how they were happy chickens and free range and this moved onto me discussing how some chickens live their whole life in a cage without being able to scratch around or eat yummy bugs. When he asked why, I touched on how the chicken farms want to make lots of money and to do that they need to have lots of chickens and the way to do that was to have them all squished together in small spaces, and equally how people buy the chickens and that keeps the cycle going. A tricky topic!

Nathan told me a story yesterday morning how if he were Heidi in the big house, that he would get himself a motorbike (with a seat on the side for Danielle) and would race away out of there. This is what I find fascinating about reading some of these books - he doesn't appear to be too interested while we are reading it, but randomly several days later a conversation starts up about something we've read.

The rest of the day included meeting up with our unschooling group, heading off to the emergency doctor to get Danielle's arm checked out as she fell off the trampoline (not broken, but most likely a dislocated elbow which reset itself), both kids then fell asleep on the couch at 4pm till dinner time (yikes!), we tidied the house and read some books.

So, we made it to the end of the day and the doubt started to kick in. Was I too relaxed in my approach? Was I really cut out for this unschooling thing? Did we "teach as regularly and as well" as a state school as per the ministry's rules?

Simon wasn't going to be home till late, and the kids wanted to lie in front of the fire in the dark again in their jammies and with their pillows. All was quiet as we lay there and the kids were just dozing.

Nathan then had his hands in the air and was watching the shadows and I noticed him holding up one finger on each hand, then two on each hand, three etc. I then just mentioned that 2 x 1 = 2, 2 x 2 = 4, 2 x 3 = 6 etc and he was right into chanting that out for a few minutes as he used his fingers as a visual guide. When Nathan was holding up his fingers Danielle joined in quietly - I turned to her and she had her hand up and counted out 1-4 on one hand. Nathan then got a burst of energy (not surprising considering the late nap) and wanted to write out all the numbers. So off he went to find a spot of light and worked on that for a few minutes. Then he wanted me to write out a story that he told (so I was told a story about a rabbit and a monster). He then found a dice and wanted to roll it back and forwards and "call" the number. Danielle joined in the game and always called a 4 lol. Nathan found another dice to roll, so we started adding the numbers together.

So, as usual, I seem to be justifying a good day against a slightly doubtful day as to whether he covers the 3 R's. Very frustrating for me, considering how many questions I field and answer in a day there is certainly plenty of learning going on!