I haven't given up on blogging. I just needed to step away from it for a little while and although it's not something that takes up a whole lot of my time, it's one of those 'other things' that I just needed to let slide for a bit.
We have some big news!
Danny quit his job to focus on not one, but two new projects. It's been a long time in the making, which is partly why we've been so busy, making sure all our ducks were in a row before he pulled the plug on a stable job he'd held for 10 years. As the main breadwinner of the family, this definitely took courage and there were moments we asked ourselves if we'd lost our minds. But every time we'd sit down to talk about it there'd be a feeling of yes...yes...yes!
And now it's official! For the last few weeks Dan's been working for himself, and from home. This weekend is the official launch of Luna Cables and Phonographe, at the annual Montreal Audio Show. I'm so proud of him!
There's more news: we registered the kids for school next September!
I have always said that we would continue to homeschool as long as it was working. For the last couple of years things have been feeling a little... wobbly (I can't think of a better word at the moment). We've been relying on our trips to Montreal for connections with friends, and that's just not sustainable. As they're growing older, the need for challenging experiences and opportunities is becoming greater than what we can provide on our own, and there is no network of homeschoolers out here that can help provide that. For the last couple of years we've been compensating by bringing 'schooly' work into the home, and that's not working either; I never wanted to do 'school at home', and yet...here we are. So, despite some little changes and adjustments we've tried, it's becoming more and more clear that it's not working anymore, for any of us. Happily, when Dan and I sat the boys down to tell them all about the Montessori school we'll be sending them to in September, they ultimately agreed it was for the best. There was some sadness too, of course, but mostly because of what it means for their Montreal friendships. They are excited about the school itself, which Danny and I feel reflects so many of the values that we hold dear and which led us to homeschooling in the first place: individualized learning, a respect for the learner's pace and methods, immersion of nature, exercise, peace, and a healthy amount of freedom. The classes are small, the ages are mixed, abilities varied, differences celebrated. Another very important factor for us is that they learn French in earnest, and as this is a French school full of francophone families, they will be fully immersed. After Danny and I visited during school hours and talked with the director it was clear that this school was a perfect fit for our family. It just so happens that the elementary and high schools both share the same building, which is a 12 minute drive from our home.
I will be eternally grateful for the years we homeschooled and I'm proud that it gave them what they needed to face this new journey with the courage, confidence, and excitement that they've expressed since we told them about the change. There's some trepidation too, for sure... but I'm looking forward to watching them take the bull by the horns in September. As for me, well, at that point it will have been 14 years of being 'on' as a mum pretty much 24/7. I'm going to give myself a chance to catch my breath. I'll take on doula clients as they come, continue my prenatal classes, and work one day a week for the LDWC as I have been, but I'm going to allow myself a grace period before I dive deeper into anything else, as I'm sure that itch will come soon enough.