Sunday 5 June 2010

5 June 2010

Internet trouble in Brooklyn. I am having trouble connecting and then trouble staying connected. So all of these entries will appear together. Damn, I love the daily dairy.

So . . . . .

Enough Mind.

This came to me as I woke up -- late again, so nice. I had a chant that went like, “Left brain, right brain, theory of mind, How much is enough mind?” Yeah, I know, I am not becoming a poet, but as I was passionately talking last night to Jan and Jen about Julia’s education, some seed was sprouting. Cheshire asked, why I didn’t just find a more appropriate school for next year and not wait another year. -- Sad to say, but my answer was about the PTO, more than Julia. Again ego and some responsibility I feel, but isn’t that a lame excuse. If I find something more appropriate, we should change asap. If there is nothing more appropriate then and if I can train myself sufficiently to take on home school, we should start when the time of sufficiency comes, not at the end of another less than useful school year.

I have been going around saying that I was going to teach Julia about dinosaurs to give her some passion for learning. And I knew we could do dino worksheets, look up facts on the computer and copy them, color, draw, and generally make dinosaurs, but I didn’t know how I was going to connect them to school learning. I have been struggling with how to teach letter sounds/vowels & consonants & blends/syllables/ pronunciation. Well, there are a whole bunch of unpronounceable dinosaur names out there. What a perfect way to to teach it all. I can add that to my list of methods.

I don’t know if anything I want to do will work. I am not a teacher. I have no training. And I don’t know if Julia can learn. Learn anything non-creative. But I still see myself moving ahead as if all was possible. Is this just being the mother of a challenged child?

Slowly, I am getting used to the NYC heat. First, appalling and an assault to the body. Then, just bearing it and hoping that the next place we enter is air conditioned. Finally, just taking it on.

Great brunch, supposed to be on a bagel but the shipment had not arrived yet, so on a brioche. Cream cheese, pesto, sauteed, caramelized onions, and thick slices of tomato. I write it here so I remember it. I have to make it at home.