Solo snow player

There's a funny sense of (false) permanence to the kids' developments for me today.  In trying to decide what I should ramble about, everything that is going on with the kids seems so true and obvious that it doesn't require noting.  Which is ridiculous :)

For example, P played outside by himself today.

When we sat to breakfast and had to call him in, E and I realized the hugeness of it.  But it's been slowly coming on for months now.  Last summer, he wouldn't go out back by himself to save his soul.  I had to carry him down during is fevers so that he wouldn't be alone in the house while Z stretched her legs.  He refused to play upstairs in his room unless we were all upstairs.  This was nothing new, this was P.  The kid who as a toddler would melt into a puddle on the other side of our transparent shower curtain because we were separated by a whole piece of plastic and water spray.  Who still goes to bed scrunched into his father's armpit if there is room.  He likes closeness :)

But this winter he has started disappearing upstairs for tiny bits to grab pieces for projects.  Or to load up on Legos.  And sometimes he stays up there and builds for a bit.  When we were in Kansas he spent the night at Grandpapas house Multiple Times.  Now there is a huge blanket of snow blessing our block and he knows it is fleeting.  And so he has been suiting up and sliding about solo.  Seamlessly.  Happily.  This is so huge for him.

It's even made space for him to take a few classes.  He was increasingly interested in class after his good friend started school this year.  So we signed up for two classes at Village Home (side note: to have landed in a place that has a school for unschoolers is unbelievable :). While he enjoyed his teachers and the kids, he was over it all waaaaaay before the semester was over and his one morning a week commitment was done.  (And that's while missing lots of class due to fevers!). 

So no more school-like classes for now :) But this term he's taking a mixed sports class and a bouldering class with Parks and Rec.  He loves it.  He's still happy to miss a week here and there, but he really does enjoy it.  And is handling Z and I leaving the building during class (there's a playground right outside) really well.  

Last week was freezing and I brought enough craft supplies to make a Macy's float so Z could make it through the 2 hours.  Watching P was such a hoot.  He is so damn agile.  There is some waiting in line while other kids take turns, but he hasn't complained about this.  Actually, he seems to make the most of it, jogging laps while he waits his turn or climbing something nearby.  It makes me so thankful that we can homeschool. While he certainly Can sit and concentrate for long periods, the amount of movement he requires during the day would make his school desk into his jail cell.

Haha, and with that, he is calling for me :)