My problem, for ages now, has been finding my blogging niche: why am I writing? What am I writing for? I struggled to find a title or name that would encompass all the things I wanted to write about, such as education, music, photography, and literature and matters of faith, food and family. I admire women like Jennifer "MckMama"McKinney and Ree "The Pioneer Woman" Drummond, who manage to incorporate multiple aspects of their personalities and interests into one cohesive site.
Of course, all this would be even easier if my interests remained constant. Last night I spent some time cleaning up my Yahoo Groups after I realized that I was a member of nearly 30. I could see, in reverse chronological order, the rise and fall of my various interests. Cloth diaper groups were deleted, though I have been using ours again more regularly. Some food groups were discarded, others maintained. Sewing groups I kept in the vague hope that I'll start sewing again soon. Montessori and reading instruction groups were added.
My interests frequently border on obsession in the early days. I read as deeply and as broadly as I can. So, for a time, I read and read and read about cloth diapers. I even got into sewing them myself, and joined various co-op groups to procure cheaper materials. Now, though? I'm content with where we are, using predominately branded diapers and alternating with disposables when we go out or at night time. I know that there are night-time solutions for cloth, and I've looked into some of them. I'm just not willing to invest hundreds more hours of my life in researching them and discussing them.
Lately I've been studying the teaching of reading. Partly this is an old interest: I did, after all, study this in my Master's program at the Johns Hopkins School of Education. Mostly, though, it is fueled by the privilege and challenge of having a three year-old who is a beginning reader. There are special challenges inherent in assisting such a young reader, as he lacks the fine motor skills for writing. I came up with some solutions for this and discovered - much to my surprise - that others had done so long before me. It turns out that I had re-invented the Movable Alphabet. This happy discovery led me down the rabbit hole to Montessori-land, which I am happily exploring as we speak.
There are certain caveats, though: I describe us as being "Montessori-ish," but that is largely because many of the early childhood learning activities we are engaged in are based in her teachings. If I were to describe my ever-expanding educational philosophy, it would have to be that of an afternoon tea party attended by Maria (Montessori), Charlotte (Mason) and Dorothy (Sayers). How is this possible, you ask? Well ... that is something I aim to find out. I'd love it if you joined me for a cup of tea.
