School Readiness

School readiness is a hot topic right about now. Everywhere we seem to go people are talking about it...kindy, the library, play dates, even people I dont even know at the supermarket have spoken to me about it.

We made the decision early on to send Little B to school when he is 6. This was for a variety of reasons not least that Mr B & I were young ones during our final years of school (in my case, seriously younger). This had quite dramatic repercussions for Mr B in the form of being badly bullied and also my younger brother struggled at school because he wasnt ready for the sit down, be quiet aspect of school at 5.

We also based our decision on discussions with preschool teachers, research overseas, after seeing talks about school readiness by Kathy Walker and also on reflection that due to a trend in Victoria to send boys later, if Little B did go at 5 he would be a year younger than 60% of the boys in his class. But ultimately, I believe that Little B deserves another year of freedom to grow, play, learn at his own pace, jiggle, wiggle and mature. So that he is socially mature enough for the playground.

The response to this from friends has been quite dramatic. Approximately half support our decision (either simply from friendship or because they agree with us). The other half are almost aggressively opposed. My closest friend believes quite strongly that I'm doing the wrong thing - she believes we are limiting his educational prospects. Others say that I am selfish and part of the problem of older kids in prep.

The response from acquaintances, strangers, teachers, work colleagues has been amazingly supportive. I've lost track of the number of women who have told me they wish their sons or brothers had been given a chance to start later, had that extra chance to mature and develop before the pressure of the school system began.

But ultimately it's a family decision that you need to base on your child. Little B is a highly sociable child but he is not socially mature. He would get lost in a school playground in a heartbeat as he can be quite shy with other children. He loves to ask questions and his thirst for knowledge is amazing but in our opinion he is not ready for the grind of a school classroom.

I found the interest in my choice quite confronting at the start and felt bombarded and even a bit defensive. Even though we had thought through this decision more than any other decision in our lives so far. But now I've made peace with the interest, and so I leave you with this poem which sums up how I feel completely...

I Took His Hand and Followed

  by Mrs. Roy L. Peifer

My dishes went unwashed today,

I didn't make the bed,

I took his hand and followed

Where his eager footsteps led.

Oh yes, we went adventuring,

My little son and I...

Exploring all the great outdoors

Beneath the summer sky

We waded in a crystal stream,

We wandered through a wood...

My kitchen wasn't swept today

But life was gay and good.

We found a cool, sun-dappled glade

And now my small son knows

How Mother Bunny hides her nest,

Where jack-in-the-pulpit grows.

We watched a robin feed her young,

We climbed a sunlit hill...

Saw cloud-sheep scamper through the sky,

We plucked a daffodil.

That my house was neglected,

That I didn't brush the stairs,

In twenty years, no one on earth

Will know, or even care.

But that I've helped my little boy

To noble manhood grow,

In twenty years, the whole wide world

May look and see and know.

Some really great reading on the subject:

• Ready, set, go? How to tell if your child's ready for school and prepare them for the best start by Kathy Walker
• Nicole at Planning With Kids gives a great view on her personal experience with school readiness and how it differs between children
• Study Shows Birth Dates, School Enrolment Dates affect ADHD Diagnosis Rates -
• Raising boys is all about time by Michale Grose
• What is the best age to send your child to school?

Sustainable Table

  

"Up to 60% of our personal eco-footprint is embodied in the food that we buy".

"Every dollar we spend is a vote for the type of food system and earth we want to be a part of" - The Sustainable Table

What can I say - this really is an incredibly interesting book. It mixes interviews with a wide range of people (chefs, transition groups, kitchen garden schools etc) with predominantly vegetarian recipes. It also has a fantastically detailed section at the back about shopping and eating sustainably.

And I think it's put in such a way that it is accessible to so many different people.  Plus even though I knew a lot of the info inside, there was still enough to make me re-think how I shop and cook. Sort of refining my system - it made me realise how I had fallen into the habit of going to the mainstream supermarkets to buy organic items like pasta and oats, when I really should support smaller Australia businesses (like Four Leaf Organics).

And the two quotes above really resonate with me. So often you come across people who say that how they shop cant possibly make a difference. And it's this sort of book that you want them to read, that you want to inspire them to change they way they shop and cook and eat.

I've now added this to my gift giving list for Christmas. I always like to give things that inspire change or make people think. For example, if I dont know someone very well I generally give them a porcelain reusable cup and / or a reusable shopping bag.

Ride to Work Day

"Today over one hundred and fifty thousand Australian workers are expected to join the commuter revolution and ride to work" - Bicycle Victoria 

Mr B decided to take part today in Ride to Work Day - an event instigated by Bicycle Victoria. As part of his job at a large public health organisation, he organised for many staff members who already ride as well as those new to riding to take part as well.

 

So how did Mr B get to work this morning?? By recumbant trike of course :-) Mr B borrowed a Greenspeed Glyde from a friend to promote this event rather than use his normal everyday bike. This is one cool little machine and stands out in a crowd. 

So last night Mr B and Little B sat inside it for some faux driving. We then watched Mr B do some riding on a small side street. Little B adored it and made me promise when he is big enough that he can graduate from his training wheel bike to one of these LOL. Mr B is a big fan too - he already has the chassis and has it down as a future project (aahh the joys of being married to an engineer and bike/scooter/engine enthusiast).

" So you know the benefits of riding to work (saving money and time, getting fit, staying healthy, green travel…the list goes on), but maybe you don’t know where to start. Ride to Work Day is the perfect opportunity to have a go" - Bicycle Victoria

Keep Calm & Rock On :-)

I had the most gorgeous birthday weekend just gone. I woke up to my gorgeous little boy singing happy birthday to me in bed while having a snuggle. Family phoned, came and visited..much cake was eaten :-) It really was a lovely heartfelt day.

And then I got to spend all Sunday out in the gardening...digging and planting. Think tomatoes, beans, eggplants, pumpkins and zucchinis. I finished up the last of that planting this morning with more pumpkin and zucchini seedlings going in.

See great review on this book here

Looking at my presents was a bit of a giggle...I think I can definitely say people have me pegged as an eco living gardening chicky babe. I got some dramatic fashionable gumboots, some inspirational reading (see above) plus this and this, and a fridge reminder to keep me going amongst it all!!

Toys du jour

Little B has two favourite toys at the moment, which he plays with daily: dominoes and marbles.

Our days are spent building domino tracks to knock over or blow over. Little B thinks of as many different variations as he can and it's not uncommon to find domino tracks anywhere in the house :-)

He loves marbles just as much. He spends just as much time making marble tracks with his blocks and long offcuts of wood and having "races". All his marbles have names and they compete against each other, often with Mr B or I designated as the commentator.

It's lovely to have these things to cheer him up as the poor little thing has been unfortunate enough to catch the slapped cheek virus. This has us in isolation at home for 4-5 days and has put paid to the rest of our school holiday plans. But with time in the sandpit and garden, and playing with his favourite toys, Little B doesnt seem to have noticed that we cant go to parks or pools as much as we normally do during school holidays.

Spring Garden

It has been cold and seriously rainy in Melbourne for the last 4 days. So I didnt quite know what I'd find when I finally ventured out into the garden. Autumn / winter was sort of slow because I didnt plant much other than snowpeas and garlic. So with the warmer weather I've been really gung ho about getting out and planting in the garden.

Our potatoes have had massive growth and are growing so much better for us in these potato bags. Also when the rain got too much we were able to move them under cover on the deck.

Our almond tree is growing it's first almonds this year!! :-)

Shame you cant eat nasturtiums as a meal as we could feast on them LOL

8 of our 10 asparagus plants have taken and grown amazingly well and quickly. This is my first time / year with asparagus and other than some day to day care until they filled up their trenches, I'm impressed daily with them. Not bad considering possums dug up a few in the first weeks and I had to replant and protect the bed with chicken wire.

With all this unseasonal warm weather this spring, I threw caution to the wind and planted out some early tomato plants. And they have been doing really well too. Normally I wouldnt plant much out until Cup Day due to our climate but thought the weather warranted some experimentation. I'm also trying more bush tomatoes this year as they take up less space and they are dotted around the yard in pots. Free's up the vegie beds for other food stuffs.

The thing that has lurved this cold wet weather has been the garlic. Whether its an optical illusion or not, it looks like it grows daily. Yum!! I cant wait to eat our own garlic.

And with lots of lemons on our lemon tree, we've been making bottle loads of lemon cordial.

I've started planting carrots out (rainbows for Little B), and have one more vegie bed that needs digging over which I have ear marked for pumpkins and zucchinis. I'm intent on getting a bigger harvest this year, so am trying to fill up every space available.

RIP Sarah

Sara Douglass died last Tuesday 27 Sept from ovarian cancer. She was best known as an Australian fantasy writer. And as you can see from her Facebook page many people have been moved by her passing.

But I first knew Sara through forums for simple living. She was one of my first inspirations for immersing myself in vegie gardening, for taking up preserving, for being prepared and for making a move to a more simpler life. She was kind and knowledgeable and shared her information willingly and wisely with everyone. I followed her adventures at Nonsuch Gardens on her blog and the ultimately her brave fight against cancer through this blog as well.

I admired Sara immensely and even though I didnt know her personally, I am saddened by this loss for the wider community. Like she lived life, she fought her personal fight bravely, with fire and the world is emptier place without her. Farewell Sara xx