23 February 2011

inspiration

P1170311

Ever have days where you question everything you've chosen to do? It seems like you've taken too much on and each day takes you further away from where you want to be headed... or you are getting there, but ever so slowly. You wonder if you're going about things the right way. Or you need some inspiration to get back on track... Kate was asking for a little inspiration too, so I know I'm not alone... I seem to have at least two days like this per week of late. Suddenly the idea that there is a school two streets away becomes appealing. Those days where the part of me that still needs de-schooling gets a little worried that the owlets are having a little too much fun and not learning enough... Or I think of all the craft projects I'm desperate to get stuck into, the garden that won't get built, the pile of washing that I never see the bottom of, or the awesome blog posts I'm reading where people are doing amazing crafty things, having amazing adventures with their owlets. Things that seem on hold for me right now. I feel stuck.

Then I look at her. I remember that one year ago I felt that first little buzz. Fourteen weeks ago she was born on this very spot. The same spot where this week she rolled over for the first time after days of trying. Huz and I watched as finally that hip and shoulder made it over and she lay on her tummy and looked up to us as if to say "now what?" A little reminder that we don't always know what will happen next, but if we chip away at it, we might just start heading in the right direction. A reminder that all my owlets have a desire to learn and no amount of teaching them will make it happen. They just have to be ready. A reminder that all that stuff can wait because it is so fast, and there can be nothing more rewarding or important than nurturing this tiny owlet.

10 comments:

  1. Thank-you! Thank-you! Thank-you! Since your Goddaughter's birth I've had a quite a few days where I've thought "WHY am I planning not to send them to school when I could get six hours a day all to myself?!" Nice to know that even the accomplished unschoolers have their moments of weakness too :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Goodness me, what a huge comfort to know that I am not alone in having these feelings. I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed the last few days and questioning whether I was doing the right thing or not...feeling a bit better knowing that we all have our moments :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. yup:) Same goes for me:) But then something happens like the kids strapping an old keyboard to their arms and typing in commands, and then hitting enter so that all us other 'robots' have to follow the orders. Resulted in days of fun for all of us, learning to type, read and spell, and most of all....impressed the crap out of me about how their untampered with creativity in learning, far surpasses my 'educated' creativity, and I can just trust them to learn what they need, and do it in STYLE!! But I still have lots of moments where I doubt.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm sure the blog post is wonderfully insightful, but I'm too busy clucking over Tiny Owlet to read it just now :D

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh my goodness Lauren that is just so beautiful and true. I have shivers up and down my arms. I'm having the opposite struggle with school right now and think that in April or May when we take them out to travel in the caravan that they might not ever go back. But I guess I'm questioning everything too right now. Let's hope we both get to the other side soon and coast along happily for a while. XX
    ps. That baby is too cute for words.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Fab post - and interesting that you have those feelings when I see your blog & feel inadequate when I see all the crafty stuff your girls have been doing. I guess there's a bit of "the grass is greener" going on for all of us :) And cluck indeed! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you so much for this post-can so relate xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  8. Lauren, this is beautiful. Again it resonates. Again, I love your openness. Again, I think, Yes!

    I've been feeling stuck too. So it's inspiring to come here, read your sweet words, see you looking out and around and finding your way to what really matters. It helps so much, as always.

    And again, I say, Thank you! :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hey Lauren. I love your attitude, and as we grapple with the whole starting and settling in to school, I find myself thinking about the life you've created for your girls. I admire what you're doing (and not doing!) and often wonder if I should be doing it too. Could I? I don't know. I know my daughter would love to stay home every day, I know she'd prefer not to be going to kinder. And I know she'd learn anyway. I just don't know if I could do it. But who knows? We'll see how things play out.

    I'm glad you're enjoying your tiny owlet - she's adorable - and I think that whole first year of a baby's life is so time and energy consuming - fall gently through your days...

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ah - a lovely post. I am seriously considering unschooling, but wondering the same things. Feeling selfish for just wanting some time to my own self. My 3yo just started a few hours at kindergarten each week... It's leading me to ponder. I'm so glad to know that you have the 'stuck' feeling too - especially when I feel like you are brimming with projects, patience and crafty creativity - it makes me feel better!

    Love the Happy Hangup in your room too! Mine is hanging there sadly because my babe is a tummy sleeper...

    ReplyDelete

Share your thoughts...