Decisions...

I know that ignoring my blog after writing about the lack of beauty in my new home will look like I have fallen into a pinkish/beige - can't change a thing -funk...but this is not the case. This past week I have been indulging in a (what seems to be yearly) hobby of mine. I have spent countless hours reading through pages and pages of information on the different schools that are available to my children.

My stress levels seem to peak every May/June.  I first experienced educational stress while contemplating and making pro and con lists between french immersion and the regular local school for my first two children. We chose french...and then on our most recent move we could not get them into french immersion...so I spent hours deciding between english school or sending them each to separate schools accomodating one in french or homeschooling. We chose to keep them together in English school...and then a few weeks later changed our minds and chose homeschool and then had to decide if we would homeschool all or just the younger ones. We decided to stick together as a family and pulled all of our kids out of the local school.

We have really enjoyed homeschool for so many reasons and I thought my decision making days were over...but...we are moving again and I have discovered that I do not have to register with the local distributed learning school - we can choose any distributed learning school in the province. In BC  distributed learning schools are homeschool based but the kids have a teacher they see (or contact) once a week, we "follow" the provincial learning outcomes (which are actually pretty vague), our learning is funded by the province and the kids get report cards and will graduate with a diploma. In my research I discovered that each school is different, which has led to a lot of research. The school they have been going to this year has provided us with textbooks and weekly schedules, which has been great. I have had very little planning to do and we have enjoyed a flexible schedule doing "school at home". But, even though we have loved it, I think it can be better. I find that we get bored and that we don't have time for a lot of things that we want to study or do.

And so...I have spent the week reading and reading and pondering and wondering...which school is best for us?

I think I may have found one. This school focuses on student directed learning (which will hopefully give us more time to explore our interests). I am hoping that it is a good fit. And I am really happy to have a major decision made.

We have a lot of changes and excitement (and work) ahead of us. We are finishing up our year of school at home, I am prepping for my university classes that start June 1st and we are starting to pack and are making another trip to Vancouver at the end of May where I will stare at those pinkish/beige walls trying desperately to figure out how to change them without covering them up...and I am open to ANY ideas...  for photos click here

Keeping me sane and very happy is the daily dose of fresh local asparagus I have been consuming and my first rhubarb harvest in three years. Stress melts off with my daily plate of roasted asparagus...quite possibly my favourite vegetable dish...and tomorrow I am making rhubarb muffins and/or scones...another decision...maybe I'll just make both.