Gifted education?

I heard part of a radio item today about a one-day school for gifted children. It was, of course, very enthusiastic about the school and what it did for its pupils. The school seemed to have the following characteristics:
- excellent pupil/teacher ratio enabling one-on-one interactions and discussions;
- self-directed learning;
- children follow their own interests;
- opportunities to be creative and make things; and
- children don't follow a set schedule, but can discuss and explore things until they are finished.

Sounds like a Playcentre.

That's actually a serious comment!

Another serious observation is what children wouldn't excel and be enthusiastic about learning if their school had those five attributes. I suspect that the successes and positive outlook of the children interviewed on the radio had very little to do with matching their curriculum to their intellectual abilities, but more with the quality of education they were receiving. My comment about the school sounding like a Playcentre doesn't at all mean that Playcentre children are any more or less gifted than anyone else - rather that many aspects of the Playcentre philosophy have a sound basis in educational theory and the provision of quality early education.

Another idea - we can be self-directed learners in mainstream education during early childhood, and at advanced tertiary education --- but for most in the middle, that idea gets lost.

So why don't all children have these opportunities? I guess it comes down to money. Think of the salary and buildings costs if every class was no more than, say, 12 pupils in size. When the school system was set up, I imagine it was a clear choice between excellent education for the few (at a high price), or an OK education for almost all (considerably cheaper).

More school reflections

Yesterday Isabelle went to Playcentre without me. Straight afterwards she went around to a friend's house for lunch. She didn't come home until 2.45.

I missed her!

How am I going to cope with her being at school 5 days a week!?

In addition, as soon as she was home, it was off to ballet. Once home, we were caught up in the hubbub of getting the meal on and seeing to everyone.

We managed a quick catch up as I put her to bed.

Pink ballet

Isabelle has now left fairy ballet and has joined a pre-primary class (which she calls "pink ballet"). Isabelle was one of the oldest in fairy ballet and has been doing it for a year. I wondered if she might be happier in the next class up. So, we trialled a class last week.

It was definitely a step up for her, and she found it hard. But the teacher thought she coped well and was happy for her to change classes.

From my perspective, there were pros and cons to changing class. The fairy ballet venue is better for us, and there's a uniform with pre-primary (so more $$$!). Pre-primary is on a more convenient day, and a smaller class. So I let Isabelle choose.

Isabelle changed into her new uniform just before class. A pink short-sleeved leotard. A floaty pink skirt. Pink ankle socks. Pink ballet slippers. Hair in a bun. And later, a pink cross-over cardy (the teacher said she can wear one of her own pink cardies in the meantime).

Still here

Blog entries seem few and far between nowadays..... I'm still here, just too tired to do anything buy climb into bed at night!

Isabelle's at a friend's house for lunch, Aidan and Orla are sleeping. So, while I have the chance:

- Orla has continued adventures in tasting. She maybe only eats 1/4 teaspoon at a time, but seems to be enjoying the experience.
- Isabelle's school visits start next week!
- Today was Isabelle's drop off at Playcentre without Aidan. This is usually a difficult morning for Aidan, who seems to prefer Playcentre to hanging out with me! However, we arranged a playdate today with a family who also has an older sibling dropped of on Thursdays. This worked a treat for all involved.
- Tonight's slow cooked meal is red curry kumara chicken.

A walk to school

On Friday, we walked to school to drop off Isabelle's enrolment forms. Another small milestone really.

We spied Isabelle's classroom (and her teacher to be) as it is next to the office. We had a little look at the place where the children put their bags and coats. (Apparently there is already a little hook with Isabelle's name on it, but I didn't spend time hunting around for it - thought I might look a bit dodgy poking around in the cloakroom!).

Isabelle seems to be looking forward to her transition. Aidan maintains that he wants to be dropped off at Playcentre without Isabelle or Mummy.

Food

Yesterday Orla had her first official solids. She had a little tiny bit of stewed pear, which she ingested with an interested look on her face. This was much acclaimed by big brother and big sister, who took photos (quite good ones too - an achievement in itself!) and ate the pear that she hadn't touched.

Over the last few days she has also licked a potato, some broccoli, and a mandarin - but nothing was actually consumed, so it doesn't really count.

I might try some more pear today.

Death and gender

I spotted a white-tail spider in our bedroom. It was in the corner, near to the door. Now I know that the reputation of the white-tail is worse than its reality, but I was not having this thing in my (or more importantly, my babies') sleeping place.

I went to the kitchen and returned with a suitable implement. I solemnly informed the white-tail that death was about to rain down upon it.

I struck.

Unfortunately, death rained down slightly to the left of the spider, leaving a little dent in the wall. The second blow was more successful. The spider, half-crushed, fell to the floor and writhed. I finished it off with a third deadly assault, then delicately picked up the remains in a tissue, and disposed of the evidence.

Now thinking about things, this is the sort of thing that is traditionally a man-job. I remember reading an article that said that for today's "modern couple", things are fairly even at the start of the relationship. Man and woman share space and divvy up the jobs more or less 50-50. However, if said man and woman have children, then there is a dramatic change towards the more traditional gender roles (with respect to housework). I think that has definitely been the case for us - but this is in part because I am the stay-at-home-mum. Certain tasks just come with that job description by default.

Here are some of our jobs.

- Cleaning the children - Man job
- Cleaning the toilet - Woman job

- Removal of poo from lawn (animal) - Man job
- Removal of poo from lawn (child) - Woman job

- Cooking in the weekend - Man job
- Cooking during the week - Woman job

- Frying, steaks, cooked breakfast, carving meat, making the coffee - Man job
- Vegetarian fare, baking bread - Woman job

- Taking out the rubbish and recycling - Man job
- Returning the recycling bin to the laundry - Woman job

- Overseeing all matters outside (gardens, house maintenance) - Man job
- Overseeing most matters inside - Woman job

- Fixing stuff - Man job
- Washing, drying, folding the clothes - Woman job

- Heavy lifting - Man job
- Light sleeping - Woman job

- Minding the mortgage - Man job
- Paying the bills - Woman job

- Killing of vermin and nasties (and disposing of bodies) - Man job
- Hogging the computer in the evening - Woman job

Catch up

So much to blog about and so little time to do it in! I keep writing new posts in my head, but they never make it anywhere near the computer.

Suffice to say that we had a great trip to Christchurch and we are now back home again. Still haven't finished unpacking, but the house is in a reasonable state (for a change) heading into the weekend, so that's all good.

We have pretty much stayed at home since our return, thanks in part to the terrible weather we have been having. We were very short on groceries by Thursday. I looked at the rain. I thought of hauling three children around the supermarket. I thought of hauling groceries down the steps in the rain, probably with at least two crying children waiting inside. I logged onto the computer and did an on-line shop. Four hours later our groceries arrived. Ahh! Lovely.

Today we went for a little walk to the playground. On the way home Isabelle collected up various treasures. In the afternoon she spent time in her room creating. I heard much sellotape being dispensed. An tonight, she distributed the gifts she had made. Grass twirled around twigs shaped into bracelets. A bottle cap attached to some vegetation (especially for Daddy "because he likes beer"). A twisty tie round and round some grass encircling a leaf. A twig with a stone sellotaped firmly to one end. Beautiful things.

Wallaby mammary

Does anyone else think that the new Wallabies' jerseys make them look like they have man-breasts?

I guess it is supposed to accentuate their manly pectorals.....

Packing in the rain

Today was spent packing and washing (so that the washed clothes can be packed).

Of course, it rained for most of the day. As it has for the last few days.....

So, sadly the drier has been busy. Clothes also hang limply on the drying frame outside, where I hopefully put them in a tiny dry patch on the south facing side of the house.

I went into the bedroom earlier to find Isabelle and Aidan packing Aidan's suitcase. Their version of packing involved emptying his drawers and putting every single item of his clothing in various bags. It was very well intentioned. I have just finished repatriating said items back into his drawers.

I think I'll have to leave the rest of it until tomorrow when most of the washing should be dry.

Positions and movements of the co-sleeping child

Here are ten common positions and movements of the co-sleeping child.

1. The Jesus. The child lies in the centre of the bed, on their back, arms outstretched. The adults balance on each side of the bed.
2. The Ladder. The child lies across the bed horizontally. The adults cling to the edge of the bed. (Advanced ladder involves lying across both pillows at once).
3. The Zed. The child lies diagonally across the centre of the bed. The adult who has the head closest to them eventually copies the child's angle of lie and sleeps comfortably, and can't understand what the other adult is complaining about.
4. The Starfish. The child lies on their back, all four limbs extended.
5. The Velcro child. The child adheres themselves to one of the adults (usually the mother). The other adult (usually the father) can't understand what the other adult is complaining about.
6. Meteorites. The child's fists/feet/elbows/knees fire random blows at random parts of both adults throughout the night.
7. The Chrysalis. Throughout the night, the child, from whatever position in the bed, coils themselves in the bedding so that one or both adults are left shivering.
8. The Sieve (as in leaking like). The child spills bodily fluids (either end). Inevitably, an adult ends uncomfortably close to the result, while the child sleeps peacefully on a dry bit.
9. The Alarm Clock. The child sits bolt upright periodically throughout the night to check the time, thus waking both adults. The child goes back to sleep immediately. One or both adults do not. The child merrily announces official "wake up time".
And of course.....
10. The Cherub. Warm, chubby, peaceful little babe, lying in the bed.

Life buoy

The life buoys in Aidan's Titanic book remind me of the little plastic life buoy I used to have next to my bed. I think it was a souvenir from the Queen Mary.

Mine said: You never know when fate may strike/So keep this by you day and night.

My sister's said: This will give your friends new hope/It's the only life buoy on this boat.

Tackle, school, roll

Went to Plunket group today for the first time in ages - it usually clashes with fairy ballet. A fine way to spend the late afternoon! I had coffee and cake, Isabelle played computer games, and Aidan was in tackle heaven, playing rough and tumble with two enthusiastic boys aged almost 5 and 7 1/2. Aidan had no fear, and tackled the big boys hard, sometimes leaping onto them from behind and pulling them down on top of himself (something that he learnt quickly was not the best idea, given their height and, more to the point, weight advantage!). The bigger boys thought he was funny and fun, and seemed to enjoy it too. I overheard Aidan say to the oldest boy "You're a big boy". "Yes", said the elder, calmly, matter-of-factly, and with much personal satisfaction.

A package arrived in the post today containing school enrolment forms, questionaires, forms for the dental clinic, forms for school trips, various government brochures and the like. Very exciting for all concerned.

And little Orla had two firsts - first roll from back to front, and first splashy bath.

Sisters

Orla seems, touch wood, slightly more settled of late. A welcome development has been that she is happy to play with Isabelle for an extended period of time. This usually happens during the week while I put Aidan down for his nap. Isabelle hauls the bouncer into her bedroom, and there they sit, chatting and playing together for up to 45 minutes quite happily. I check in on them every now and again - both sisters seem very happy, so I busy myself with the dishes, lunch, or checking my emails.

Orla has found my hair, which is cute (but sometimes painful). She is always very happy to get a good handful in her chubby fist, which she then pulls determinedly towards her mouth.