Hilary

I cantl tell you how wonderful it was to have all of your full,
rich, wonderful posts here to read tonight.
Thanks so much all of you. It has been just what I needed to hear.
I haev done lots of reading - all the books you all mentioned (well
most of them) I read years ago... I have even put up some of that
stuff on my conscious parenting website...

www.labouroflove.org

...funnily enough, I remember when I did the education section fo it
when Dan was still in school, I used to joke to people that it was
probably some hidden prophesy that I never did add anything to the
Steiner/Waldorf section, and that the only thing that had anything
in it was the homeschooling section! I think I have some Gatto
articles & stuff liek that. So, I have been in tune with all that
stuff for a while. I guess with Flynns birth I kind of went to
sleep again, allwrapped up in baby stuff. I needed to awaken again
to my first born son.

What "woke me up" again was reading Grace Lewellyns stuff -
reading :"11 teenagers who donlt go to school" at the beginning of
last year. I thought to myself "what the $@%# am I doing to my
son!!!" and anyway, he was out 6 months later. I will never forget
him running to me on his last day of school saying "I'm free!!!"
makes me tearful to remember.

I can't remember who talked about Runescape, but Daniel is absoutely
mad on it, has been for the past 3 - 4 months! I'll find out his
username, and pass your kids ones onto him!! Thanks for helping me
to see the educational value in it.

I know that after having spent years in teh Waldorf system, I have
alot of stuff to shake off around rules, and whats appropriate or
not. I relaxed so much from where I was 7 or 8 years ago when I was
a bit of a pain in the ass purist, but I know that "role" still
lives in me!

Hey - thanks again everyone for such an awesome welcome, such
heartfelt and useful replies. I will be contacting some of you
directly on some of teh more specific issues.

With love & appreciation
Hilary