Introducing Esther

1. Our homeschool family...

I'm Esther and live in Gauteng (for now) with my husband, Johan and two sons Simeon (7) and Joshua (3).

One of the most difficult questions about homeschooling for me is "How long have you been homeschooling?"  I really do not know when we started as I wanted to homeschool before Simeon was born.  I stayed at home with him, but never saw that as homeschooling.  Just raising my little son.  I had to work for 18 months, Simeon went to school, and Joshua, when he came along went to day care.  At 5 years of age (for Simeon) I could stay at home again.  Did I start then?  Or when he legally had to be schooled?  Or, as we believe in Better late than Early, do we need to start counting from a date in the future?

We live in Gauteng because our children need specialised speech therapy, but would like to move back to the beautiful Lowveld town of White River, or move on to other "greener" (hopefully non-city) pastures.

2. We homeschool because ...

Is there ever a single reason why we homeschool or do anything at all.  Mostly I would say that we homeschool because we feel God leading us on this road for our children.  I shared our homeschool journey here.  We also do this because our children should not be forced to pronounce words correctly.  So we have a "professional" recommendation not to place them in school (the best news any homeschool family could get).

I like the idea that my two sons learn to become best friends, and not just two boys who happen to live in the same house.  Being 4 years apart in age, they will be 4 years apart in school, they will not share experiences, friends, worlds, and many more.  Will they be friends?

And today I feel that we homeschool because I want to share those special developmental progress my children make, such as the first real picture Joshua drew last week - of his Little Tigger.

3. Five Favourites! The things I most like to ...

1. see...  a mountain river; creating mist as it tumbles over the edge...
2. hear ... that first time to be called "Mamma"; a heavy Highveld thunder and  lightning storm...
3. smell ...  the early morning crisp air; the moist smell of de-composting leaves on a forest floor; the salty sea; a newborn baby...
4. taste ...  fresh fruit; freshly baked bread; my mom's cheese cake...
5. touch ...  my child's soft hair; a cat curling around my legs; that little body of one of my sons sitting on my lap, listening to a story...

4. This year I hope to ... 

• wake up for my children and not to be awakened by them.  I joined the Hello Morning Challege for that and it's going ...well... well.  So far, for this week.  Going to bed early is one of the biggest challenges as night-time is Me-time.
• to make time to develop my drawing skills and to make some portraits (for myself).
• to try and get a little bit more structure in our homeschooling, and to get over the resistance for formal learning.
• To post more often on my blogs.

Prayer Rock - Petra Mountain - White River

We lived on Petra Mountain in 2007.

One of the best places is the Prayer Rock,

quiet and with a magnificent view of the surrounding area.

Recently we visited and stayed over at Petra.

This gave us the opportunity to take more photographs and compare.

 Simeon on his third birthday - 25 June 2007

Joshua a week before his third birthday (which was 26 June 2011)

More photos of Simeon at 3 years

 With Ouma

 Simeon and his friends Tshepo and Wayne

Simeon and Joshua - June 2011

 Simeon, a week before his 7th birthday

Joshua, nearly 3 years

 

Because I knew I would have this opportunity, I planned beforehand and brought the same set of clothes that Simeon wore four years ago.

Cars Parking Board

When I saw the post about "Colour Fun #5 - A Colour Car Play Mat" at Love and Lollipops I knew it would be a great idea to make one for Joshua to help him learn his colours.  

I took the back board of a A2 size calender and painted it black.

Measuring and cutting coloured blocks to fit our board.  I first looked at all the cars we have and decided then on all the colours we needed, so we also needed brown, orange and black.

Pasting and deciding where all the blocks should go.

I did this during Joshua's naptime but Simeon came to help with the lay-out.
I added the lines with white paper strips.  One row of parking spaces with big coloured blocks was added for the bigger trucks, tracktors and cars.  

I liked the idea of adding stop streets at the junction of the roads.  In South Africa we drive on the left side of the road, so this is made for our country.

Playtime!!!  Simeon showing his brother where all the cars should go.

The quality of the photo's are not great as they were taken by cellphone, as our camera was in for repairs.

Tuisonderrig vir Joshua

Joshua in die Pretoria Dieretuin.

Joshua is nou net oor 2½ jaar oud. Hy geniet die lewe voluit en ondersoek ALLES. Hy is ook meer avontuurlustig en dapperder as Simeon. Niks is meer veilig nie en niks is "heilig" nie. Hy het gistermiddag my tafel verwoes terwyl ek met my suster gepraat het. En vandag die suikerpot met 'n hele bottel baba olie opgevul!!

Hy's gelukkig ook baie liefdevol en sal graag by my kom sit wanneer ek stories lees, vir 'n baie kort rukkie.

Joshua was so geïntreseerd in die sirkus, en het natuurlik die narre baie geniet.

Vir my is dit nie so belangrik om Joshua nou formeel te leer of 'n program te volg nie. Alles wat hy doen en alles waarin hy belangstel is leergeleenthede. Ek praat baie met hom oor wat hy doen, wat dit is, wat ons daarmee doen. En buitendien kry mens nie baie samewerking as jy iets met hom wil doen nie, die luistervaardighede moet nog baie ontwikkel.

Met die stokkies en balletjies stel.

Wanneer hy met iets speel sal ek probeer om soms saam te speel. Alleenspel is baie belangrik, hulle leer so hulle self besig hou. En om self te probeer, self te skep. Met hierdie speelgoed (in die foto hierbo) speel ek wel saam aangesien die balletjies klein is en tog so maklik in die mond gesit word.

Die wat weet sê mos dat alles wat deur 'n toiletrolletjie kan gaan kan in 'n keelgat ook af.

Dit gesê, het ek wel die Before Five in a row boek. Ek het al twee boeke in Afrikaans opgespoor in die Waverley Biblioteek. Joshua luister egter nog nie na stories nie. Ek sien wel dat gereedheid besig is om te ontwikkel. (As iemand egter die hele lys van Afrikaanse boeke het sal ek dit waardeer as julle dit kan e-mail.)

Joshua, dis alles geel.

Een ding waarop ek wel baie konsentreer is kleure. Ek het nooit met Simeon agter gekom dat ek hom kleure en vorms leer nie. Ons het dit so in die speel gedoen en hy het dit baie gou geleer.

Met Joshua het ek net meer opgelet, soos dat ek nou voel hy is gereed daarvoor, en dat ek dit wel doen. Net soos met Simeon, maar ek's meer bewus daarvan.

Alle kleure is nou nog groen (toen). So, as ons sukkel met ander wys ek sommer 'n paar groenes sodat hy "reg" kan wees.

Estienne, Joshua en Jolinda

Baie tyd word spandeer aan spraakterapie. Joshua het baie van sy terapeute gehou, maar omdat hulle 4de jaar was, moet hy hierdie jaar nuwe terapeute kry. Beide het goed geslaag, Estienne het haar Graad gecum.

Net nadat die spraakterapie laasjaar opgehou het, het Joshua weggetrek en begin praat. Hy het in 'n baie klein tydjie 'n baie groot woordeskat opgebou en sê alles agter ons aan.

Joshua is baie nuuskierig, hier ondersoek hy die reenwater dreinpyp op die stoep van die vakansie huis. En groot was sy verbasing toe ek van anderkant die stoepmuurtjie deur die pyp met hom praat. Dit was die hele week een van gunsteling aktiwititeite.

Joshua voer die bokkies

Nadat Joshua gesien het hoe ek die bokkies voer het hy dit met volle oorgawe gedoen. Hy't selfs sy hand in hulle bekke gesteek en was glad nie bang nie.

Simeon laat Joshua (en hond) hurte-hurte perdjies speel.

Een van die baie belangrike dinge in die kinders se lewens is dat ek graag wil hê hulle moet maats wees en vriende bly. Dis een van die voordele van tuisonderrig wat my baie aantrek. Met die vier jaar ouderdomsverskil is dit vir my 'n prioritiet.

Met Joshua se geboorte was hy blou en het hy ook opgehou asemhaal. Hy was 'n week in ICU waar hy geleer moes word om self asem te haal. Ek is baie bly dat hy geen breinskade opgedoen het nie en weet ons is ook baie bevoorreg.

EK hoop op baie jare se heerlike informele en "meer formele" leergeleenthede en tuisonderrig.

O gaats!

Wanneer Mamma net te lank vat....

'n Baie gelukkige Joshua

Skoene en al!