Summer and Fire

After Spring we move into the active time of Summer.  This is the energy of Fire, the time of activity, warmth, movement, growth and relationship.  Nature itself is moving, the plants are growing, animals are getting ready to produce young and things are busy.  Fire is our ability to have relationships, to feel safe, to feel in control, to be intimate, to have fun, to laugh and be excited. (taken from here)

I've always been the spontaneous one, the inspired one, the under prepared one.  Ready to walk across a street aimlessly just because that happens to be the direction with the illuminated walk signal.  Ready to buy a plane ticket to another country without knowing how to speak the language or where I would sleep.  Ready to jump into a new job I'm completely under-qualified for with attentive abandon.  I guess my moto could be, "We'll figure it out when we get there."  Or something like that.  And for this my life is very low stress.  I don't worry about making sure the diaper bag is full of diapers and wipes.  Instead of all the upfront fuss and  planning that seems to consume people, my life is a series of potential "oh shit, what do we do now?" moments where a decision is made and then its over.

oh shit, I didn't pack a lunch, what do we do now?
oh shit, the renters didn't pay their rent this month, what do we do now?
oh shit, I'm pregnant, what do we do now?
oh shit Kaio doesn't like school, what do we do now?

Mari and I sync up so well like this because we're both unattached to outcomes, fluid and easy going.  But unfortunately for me, its not a great way to run a house.  It worked fine when we were pre-kid and could go out to dinner every night.  But now, if I don't set a meal plan at the beginning of the week, then come Wednesday or Thursday 7pm rolls around and we are cranky and hungry.  We forage for ants on a log for dinner - then discover there are no raisins so we just eat celery and Sunbutter.

Disciplining myself to be a prepared person challenges me every day.  But I need to do it.  The kids need me to do it.

Did you notice the last couple months I haven't been updating the blog?  It's because I'm disciplining myself.

When March came around I was like, "Oh shit, Kaio's in first grade and we have to summit some evidence of progress this year for 1st grade homeschool, what do I do now?"

I hadn't worried about it.  The VA homeschool requirements are so loose, that I thought, 'we'll figure it out when we get there.'  So then March came around and I took to figuring it out.  But when I actually looked at what a version of the end of the year test looked like, I realized we were worlds away from the math requirements.  I told Mari and he freaked out, thought the state might call us loser parents and force us to put Kaio back in school or take him away.  Luckily that is not what happens.  If you do not submit evidence of progress you get a one year probation to submit.

So I've tightened up at home with scheduling and formalities for the last two and a half months now.

Currently it is actually working, but I have so much less free time to just fuck around in front of the computer.  That's probably a good thing.  But it means I haven't been updating this blog.  I've also been spending at least three days a week on the water paddleboarding, first ramping up for summer time SUP Yoga and now teaching and training teachers.  It has been so much fun, but with my pregnant belly growing bigger, I'm ready to cut down on the days out on the water teaching, and have some more time to relax and bake a baby.

Kaio has been doing awesome with the homeschooling.  As much as my personality fights it, I think that both he and I really need some structure in our lives to be productive.  He's started saying "I can do math, I'm good at math!"  with a big smile across his face.  That is, until we get to a new difficult thing, and then he switches to "I hate math!" and throws his pen across the room.  But he wont give up to the wave of frustration and insists on finishing the page.

So May happened and we explored outdoors with other homeschoolers:

Captain Hook's hook 

 A machine gun, or anti aircraft artillery 

 Exploring in dresses

 Mining for Virginia clay on the stream banks

It looks like a frog wrapped in a leaf 

 Building on a lake beach with other homeschoolers

Nala's a little yogi

The Brave Writer says the best curriculum for kindergarten is costumes and face paint

 I'll add water sports to that!

 The birds have come out and we catalog them from the bay window, Nala gives each one a name.  Window paints and lego mess included.

 Watching the planes land from Gravity Point

 Stuffing their faces with free donuts on D day.  Best way to solidify a history lesson is with some food

 We visited my grandparents' grave in New Jersey and planted flowers, lit a candle

The grave of one of my grandfather's sisters.  She died as a child of small pox I think

Mariano has been racing SUP.  He placed 2nd in this race!  

Kaio competed in his first race too, using his above water kayak.

 ya know when dad gets home at 9pm and the kids are wearing makeshift flying squirrel suits, running through the hallway and leaping...

 Pool days

  Berry picking

 Arts and crafts

Playing with fire

 Moving around furniture

and lounging

We've been so busy implementing chores and routine, homeschooling, finding distractions from screen time, and occasionally getting out of our bubble to play.  I have so much to do that keeps getting pushed aside.  Updating this blog was one of those things.  I'm glad I woke up early enough to get it done because there are so many decadent moments (between the whining and exhaustion) I want to box up and save forever, this post was just a sliver of that.   Now off to the waterpark!