A Fly On My Homeschool Wall

Of all of the news to report about Ladybug--social, emotional, physical, academic, spiritual, artistic, etc.--right now, for us, the most important is that we're going ahead with directed therapy starting next week.  The therapist will start with a mix of play and directed therapy in order to establish a trusting relationship and slowly work her way to fully directed therapy. I cannot adequately express how grateful I am for the 3 hour intake meeting Sir Walter Scott and I had with the therapist this week.  Mostly Sir Walter Scott listened, and I talked (that's kind of how it always is), and the therapist asked lots of questions.  The most important thing she said was, "I believe you." And then she said, "These are serious issues.  Do you think [Ladybug] needs an alternative placement?" Not yet. But just having a professional ask that question validated all of the hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute struggles we're having, and helped Sir Walter Sco...

I checked the weather forecast--as I do every morning--and the day ahead looked to be fairly mild and damp, but not disastrous.  It had already drizzled for a few hours in the wee hours, and there remained a 15% chance of showers for the rest of the day, but already the clouds were moving off, the pavement was steaming, and the sun was shining. I kept the kids in out of the mud for the earliest part of the morning, but I wanted to get outside with the kids in a joyful way, and as the heat wasn't intense, I decided it would be a good day to see if we could complete the 3 mile loop of a favorite nature trail--the one with the painted labyrinth at the start. We've never finished the loop before. We arrived to find a woman gently walking the circumlocutions of the labyrinth, so I kept the kids out of her way, and we started directly down the trail. It was busy, and there was a set of young men with an enormous dog who was not on a leash.  This dog liked children, and I had...

The week looks great in pictures.  And truly, there were so many joyful moments! In my heart and mind it was hard. We have tentatively found a therapist who will do directed therapy with Ladybug instead of relaxing into play therapy.  The intake meeting is next week.  I already have alarms buzzing in my head because the information this therapist has given me so far leads me to believe we're not going to be compatible, but I need this face-to-face meeting to shed greater light on my concerns. This week we had the wonderful blessing of a few cooler than usual days.  After the blistering heat we've been living through, it was just a miracle!  We made the most of the cool weather by living out-of-doors as much as we could. Monday We played at home in the yard.  Mister Man rescued this bird's nest from Belle's Theo, who was happily demolishing it.  The kids gathered around to marvel at the mud and the perfect cup shape and the piece of curling ...