Homeschooling has somehow made me much more open to serendipitous events. Perhaps it's because I spend time looking for meaning and reassurances now, particularly when there are moments in the day where I start to question what I'm doing. In the midst of the struggle to juggle paid work and 'everything else', between yo-yoing from frenetic haus frau to bohemian-coolchick-homeschooling-mum (in my head), I do, like most homeschooling parents, have the occasional 'spaz out'.
We've had a bit of a 'feral' week. No goals, plans or predetermined outputs. It's ok for a bit, then I start to spaz out. I start to worry about all the things I think we (or I) should be doing, mentally going through the lists of learning outcomes and stuff we should have achieved and fretting that we haven't. And then serendipity finds me. Three times today.
Serendipity one
Eight month old Tama has suddenly become a cling-on. For every minute he spends commando crawling around, he spends at least two attached, or demanding to be attached, to me. Whilst cuddling him, I heard the two big kids counting to 150 together as they emptied the dishwasher. Numeracy and co-operation covered.Serendipity two
Before we began homeschooling this year, Keilani could recognise the letters in her name. Other letters were a mystery. There's been very little direct teaching of letters (I tried and got as far as about 'c'), but resources have been laid about and made over the past few weeks (like the salt dough). I found this on her blackboard, completed sometime this week. :-) Literacy ticked off.
Serendipity three
A lot of our days are spent reading - reading together, looking at books, me reading, Keilani spelling out words to read, Akira 'reading' his train books. I 'll blog about the books we're reading, but I'll focus on just two today, the serendipitous ones (both available in the Kapiti Library):
Why is the Sky Blue by Sally Grindley and illustrated by Susan Varley tells the tale of an old wise donkey 'teaching' a young bunny who is so excited to learn everything that he goes off on tangents. Old Donkey expects young bunny to sit still and listen. In the end, it's not just the bunny who learns! 
The Wild Child by Jeanne Willis and illustrated by Lorna Freytag. A beautiful book with a real hidden message for a homeschooling mum...
Why am I hiding and why must I run?
The grown-ups will catch me and ruin my fun.
They caught the wild children and put them in zoos
They made them do sums and wear sensible shoes...
They took all their wisdom and wildness away
That's why there are none in the forests today.
My wild children can count to 150, do the alphabet and revel in the joy of magical stories. The wild Mama needs to learn to focus on what is being done, not what isn't. Homeschooling is as much attitude as aptitude!
May serendipity surround you today ;-)
You're continuing to grow Yumiko. Serendipity is a wonderful life experience. It happens much more than you may realise.
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