Homeschool Highlights.

Being Down Under & a day ahead I'm posting early but we have a big week ahead so it's now or never. Click on the picture to link to Ellen & find out how to join in the fun.
We are so off~track at present it's not funny but that's how it goes sometimes when the kids are involved in performance activities. Everything gives way to pre~production week, including academic work. Oh, we are still plodding along, mostly reading, but science experiments, testing, workbooking ~ forget it. So you could be forgiven for thinking Ditz hasn't learnt anything much this week. On the contary Ditz learnt one of the most important lessons of her life this week.

Now Ditz is the youngest of 5 children which means everyone in this house is bigger & older & allowed to do more things than she is. She has been going on 18 forever. Very scarey. There are 6 whole years between Ditz & my next youngest. That is a huge age gap just now. Ditz is 12; Liddy is 18.

I do not believe I am a *helicopter mummy*. Just the same I wasn't allowing my 12 year old to travel into town on her own ~ at night, by train, unsupervised ~ for a music master class. David Kidd, one of the Ten Tenors, was running it & as Ditz is singing at the next Ten Tenors concert she was keen to attend. Fair enough. I abandoned the rest of the family to their own devices so I could take her into town. I bet you can hear the wails of, 'Muuuum!' from all the way over there.

So my beloved child didn't want to know me as we trotted down Brunswick street. Only the fact she had no idea of where we were or where we were going kept her in my orbit. I understand. She no longer wants to be thought of as little ~ & she's not. She's just not as big as she thinks she is or would like to be just yet either.

Coming home we were racing to make the last boat of the night home . One of the joys of island living. We were standing at the lights when it happened. An old man, & I do mean old, in his 60's or 70's at least, white haired, wrinkled, hit on my daughter. It would be fair to say I was nearly as freaked as my daughter. I gave him my best, 'One false move & you are so dead, mister' looks & he hurridly backed off. My child re~evaluated the blessing of having mummy by her side to ward of unwanted advances. Even better, she told me so. Reality check, Ditz. You are 12. Twelve is not big enough to handle some things. That is why you have adults in your life to handle these things for you. Somehow I think she now has that picture pretty clear in her head. I do hope so. It will make the next few years just that little bit easier.