Back to school or not back to school

I can't believe it but 6 1/2 years of home education are over, just like that, from one minute to the next. I have all these home ed blogs on my side bar. You are so, so lucky, even when it is going unpredictably, everyone is unsure about what exactly the purpose of all this is and there is no obvious achievement of goals.

Believe me, all sorts of things are growing and changing while you have a confusing day or year. I am about to get my reward after all these dark nights and out on a limb days.

Somewhere ages ago I read a tiny snippet from an old Nordic saga or some such mysterious voice from the deep about boys lying in the ashes by the fire for their teenage years.

This image from many centuries away struck me as a glimpse of how things really are and how it will be ok to let things progress in their own ancient way. I got the image years before I needed it, but it was there in my mind, ready for me.

GCSE run up

This is involving retail therapy on Amazon. Revision guides plus books to read. How can I say no to such reasonable and admirable requests? School fees are just the start! It's all in a very good cause though and I'm glad to be asked.

Sigh

The long hair has become an issue with school. I did mention to the teacher that actually T's hair wasn't nearly as long as H's hair, for information and awareness raising purposes.

The colour is also an issue. Hmm. I find it annoying that one of my children will have to put hair colour choices and lengths on hold until July 2013. I had become rather used to and proud of the fact that his school were ok with long haired rock star looks. I suspect the prospect of a new head is causing the clampdown in advance of his arrival.

I also don't yet know for sure how to redye T's hair back to roughly his underlying colour. An unfortunate green colour wouldn't be a good outcome.

Time to google 'changing hair colour from deep red back to light brown'.

T is fine about it, so I'm being the typical parent who gets wound up over non-events and irritates the teachers!

New term

I am doing a lot of thinking about all those going into new classes and schools this week.

When T joined his secondary school I got from somewhere an idea that a new demanding start for him automatically meant time for a new demanding start for me.

I started Friday night swimming classes and I certainly had no plan to take life at a slower pace. I thought that as the children got older I needed to speed up and take my proper place in society.

Life got in the way and I have spent the last 3 years learning how to slow right down the hard way.

So to anyone thinking that the first year of their first child going to secondary school is the time to start evening classes, a new demanding job......It might well be the time, but it might not be....just saying!