Rite of passage?

I thought I'd better tell you about our recent exciting events around here.
Rebekah has just finished her end of year dance concert. She had been looking forward to it all year long. At the start of this year, I wanted to enrol her in ballet but the most convenient place for us taught not only ballet but also jazz and tap. Rebekah has really enjoyed it all and she says jazz is her favourite though she loves tapping about in her tap shoes and has been known to wear it to church on Sundays too many a time:) Go figure! I guess jazz shoes aren't as glamourous!
Anyway, the big day arrived after and here she is:

Ballet:























Jazz: (They did a song from Lion King)























Tap:























I was so proud of my little girl when she was up on stage in front of hundreds of people doing her thing! I had one of those moments when I couldn't believe how fast the years have gone - I thought about the day she was born and how she has grown from this little baby so quickly to be doing this. You know, it was just one of those emotional moments.....universally parents say that kids grow up fast and how true is that! Some days can seem to go slow but from a longer term perspective, it all seems to go just too fast:( I want her to stay little but I know I have no control over that! Anyway, I digress....while I was having this emotional moment I mentioned earlier, I somehow felt like a real mum...as if doing this sort of thing made me feel normal....I am not sure if it's the fact that Rebekah hasn't been to school or not that made me feel that way (you know, not having the normal school experience, first day of kindy etc, knowing all the other local kids in the community etc) I suspect it is...or just the fact that she is growing up....I felt like it was rite of passage into real motherhood...I know it's probably silly to think so but that's how I felt.

And oh, to top off all the excitement of dancing on stage etc, she even got a medal and trophy, now what can top that? It's her first ever medal and trophy and she is so proud of it!


















On a different note, Ron and I have not liked the direction that Rebekah will head in if she continues in this dance school, so next year it might be a different dance school where she can learn ballet alone or maybe even Irish dancing....:)

Some Magic Pudding magic

After days of stifling heat, we had a cool change and so Rebekah and I decided to take off to the park yesterday morning to celebrate! So, while all the kids were heading off to school, we heaeded off to the park!

















It's been a long time since we've been out to the park I'm sad to say.
































Rebekah has named this new park recently opened up at our place as "The Snugglepot and Cuddlepie Magic Pudding Park". She doesn't mind that it takes her 10 seconds to say it's name (yes we counted the seconds as I thought it was too long!) and won't let me call it just "The Magic Pudding park".
It does have some of May Gibbs' characters as well painted along the park - I just forgot to take some pics of them:)

Isn't it amazing how life is filled with some amazing co-incidences. I have noticed this so much more since we decided to homeschool Rebekah. I think it's God's way of confirming and affirming me that we are on the right track.
This park is one of those amazing co-incidences. We started reading "The Maggic Pudding" (well Ron did, not me) to Rebekah a few weeks ago and then we discover this newly opened park about ten minutes from our home. howzat!

Rebekah assures me that Albert is not always grouchy as he seems here:)
















We had a magical time hanging out here before work called us home:(
















Rebekah doing her "ballet" pose on a tree stump....will have to post on that soon.....

Give me this day my daily blog!!!! Please!!!!

I have just realised that three out of my seven bloggy friends are now taking a vacation of sorts (from blogging atleast) for three very different reasons.

Sarah has her in-laws for a visit.
Mrs Adept is busy packing for her trip and
Jeanne is have a well earned rest for a couple of days

so what is this girl meant to do? Where am I to find my daily blog?

Hooray for Amy, at least she is blogging every day (you go girl!) due to joining some type of blog a day carnival or something:)
I would be lost if it wasn't for her blog:)

Missing you all........

"I know the names of the three Gods" and some neologisms

Here's what Rebekah has been talking about of late:

"I know the names of the three Gods". I look bewildered, wondering what on earth has she been hearing and learning other than what I've been teaching her....turns out she meant: Father, Son and Holy Spirit! Oh, I was so relieved to hear that! I then proceeded to explain that they were not three Gods but three in One - you know - the Trinity! How does one explain the Trinity to a 5 year old other than to just say it as it is, no they are not three separate God's but three in One, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. I wanted to explain about ice, steam and water all being the same yet one but I thought I might leave that one for another time:)

"I like my food hot"
For the last fifteen years of our married life I've had to deal with this difference between Ron and I. He loves his food hot, no make that piping hot and as for me, I don't really care - well, as long as it's warm and edible and tastes good, that's all that matters:)
So, almost every time we have a hot meal for dinner, you can bet your bottom dollar that Ron will walk over to the microwave within a few seconds of commencing his meal.
Now, you think I would have learnt after fifteen years to make it piping hot - well, I know that, buuuut, it's all relative isn't it, sometimes I think it's hot enough but it's not to him!
So, anyway, the other day, we all sit down to eat and Rebekah is having her lamb curry with rice and she says, "I think I would like my food hot mummy" Thinking I didn't hear her right, I ask her what she means - and yes - you guessed it, it wasn't hot enough for her - like father, like daughter:)
Can you believe this 5 year old!!!!

Now for some neologisms: (thanks Jeanne, I learnt that word from you)

When we play birthday parties with dolls and play-doh and we sing happy birthday followed by "she's a jolly good fellow" it's "for she's a jolly good feather".

ABC "For the juniors" is "Forth the pejunias" (yes, I admit we do watch it sometimes besides I think she's learning lots from it - all in the name of education right!)

"Ridiculous" is "ridiclius"

"Piano" is "plano"

And do you think I actually bother to correct her - no way! I let her say them as she wishes coz it makes me chuckle and I love it!

Why does she like being called a "good girl" and what do you all think of rewards?

I have read a few parenting books over the last few years. I remember one book saying not to call your child "good girl/boy" for doing whatever it is they did, instead to praise the "act" and their "effort" by saying "good job for doing...." or something else to that effect. Well, I have tried to follow that to the best of my ability.

However a year or so ago, I noticed that when her both her nanas say "good girl" after she does something, she gets a gleam in her eye and you can see her spirit just lifts and she loves it!
So, since I noticed that, I started occassionally saying it myself and I can see she LOVES it! I've even heard her talking to her imaginary friends later to tell them I said she was a good girl!

Now, this is my dilemma....
I don't want her to grow up with an unsaid / undue outward pressure on her to "be good" (as that is definitely not what God wants) as that is what that parenting book talked about, I don't want her self worth to be determined by how good she is but by what God thinks of her and I want her to be praised for her efforts and for doing the right thing .
So, why does she love being called a good girl?
Is it really all that bad to say it sometimes?
I am still pondering.....

The other parenting matter I am grappling with at the moment is "doing something because it's right, rather than for a reward".
I grew up in a world with no rewards for doing what I was meant to do, chores, obedience, good habits, etc etc.
Rather, it was respect for authority that motivated me and an attitude of I need to do it coz it's the right thing to do (sorry this isn't meant to be a brag:)) and hopefully it still is with me these days:)
Wind the clock forward a few years and I read about Charlotte Mason's motto for her students:
"I am, I can, I ought and I will".

My paraphrase:
I am a child of God etc...
I can do that which I need to do (because of His grace and power)
I ought to do the right thing.... and
I will do the right thing.

She also recommended no rewards other than natural consequences being the reward...eg, if I finish my lessons early I get more play time etc.
I also tend to think that other "rewards" can bring with it a sense of entitlement as one grows up..."I did this therefore I deserve this" (and how much do we see that in this generation)...which I don't want to see in her.

What CM says truly resonates with me but it's a job and a half to implement that at times !
I have taught her good habits (using Charlotte Mason's approach). But there are other habits that just don't seem to want to take root!
So, I've been pondering of late about rewards (atleast temporarily) to help get some good habits (that I am finding difficulty with) instilled in her.
Also, the Bible says God is a Rewarder so therefore He is into rewards, so are external rewards all that bad?

Or is it me that needs to have the habit of working on "instilling habits" including the habit of teaching her "I am, I can, I ought and I will". I haven't used those exact words with her (but used the method to train her) but I am thinking she's getting to the age now where she will truly be able to understand these concepts, so maybe I just need to start it?

Still pondering....and mulling things over and hope all of this is clear....what do you all think?