But I want perfection NOWWWW!!!

Well, we've finally gotten back into things today after a rather slow Term 4, and of course a bit of a holiday (yeah ok, so Term 4 kinda became a rather extended holiday with bits of schoolwork thrown in every now and then as a break from the holiday... but it was our first go at this, and I kind of floundered a bit *sigh*).
Gordy is actually quite a good little photographer, although he needs regular encouragement to actually take the camera out and USE it! Ya realise kiddo that cameras are NOT meant to just sit in their box, gathering a collection of dust bunnies? Well, if push (or persistantly, yet gently, nudge) I must, then push I will. I know I've always been one who's needed that constant pushing to actually get anything done, and I sooooooo apologise for how often I tend to snap people's heads off for doing just that *blushes*... I NEED it, I just don't LIKE it, and it seems Gordy is very much the same. The drama queen...err... KING... still reigns supreme in him, especially when he's not getting the hang of things straight away. A budding little perfectionist our boy is! I've lost count of the many times we've had to tell him that it takes practice, loads and loads of it, to actually get good at things... yet it still seems to puddle on the surface without ever sinking in. Hmph!! Who likes the sound of a broken record?? But how else can we get this small amount of knowledge to make it's point? That no, he WON'T get it right straight away (most of the time anyway). That it will take practice, hard work, actually putting in the effort and NOT giving up as soon as the going gets tough, before he learns something new and gets good at it. Is this just a typical kid thing, or is it only some kids who think perfection, or at least being able to do some new straight away, is a given?

Ergg... Rambling again *climbs down off my rather tall, disgruntled soap box and gets back to the original topic*

Anyways... as I was saying, Gordy can quite often take a decent photo.

EG: -------------->

TOP: Taken 16/12/08 for one of the Xmas prezzies he was making. Good practice using the timer function on his camera! *G*

MIDDLE: Gordy and I both find these lil guys fascinating... not sure who spotted it, but he held our attention for a while, especially as he tickled Gordy's arm and face while walking all over him... hehehehe!!

BOTTOM: Xani the Nun?? Gordy LOVES taking photos of his little brother, and loves throwing the cloth nappy over his head (which Xani seems to find highly amusing, always chuckling away from beneath the cloth), so the combo usually makes for many a good photo.

So this morning I set him a photography assignment... one which he will be given every week/fortnight, or possibly even month (haven't decided exactly how often it'll change yet), with a new topic. His first topic.... FEET!! It was the first thing that sprang to mind, but that was probably helped out by the Home and Country show's topic for the photography section this year, also being feet! So today, after he had made a small list (he got 6 this time, but I'm hoping this part of the assignment will end up with a longer list the more he practices (yep, there's that there word again... hehehehe) his photography and learns to think outside the square) on things the word "feet" made him think of (quite a bit of help needed, but again, hoping that'll change the more he does this), we looked online at the results on a Google Image search on the word "feet", saving a few of the more interesting images as inspiration for the next part. Sometime in the next few days, when time (and weather) allows, we will head out with the cameras, and start taking a few feet photos. I'll try and remember to upload the results once we take the photos.

Along with photography, the art pad was dragged back out, and this is where most of the "Drama King" behaviour came into play, because his drawings "weren't good enough". I ended up having to take his eraser off him, because he wanted to rub it all out and start again. Nope... not allowed. The eraser is now banned from making an appearance on his art pad. I'm hoping that by not allowing him to erase them, he'll be able to watch his own progress, and SEE the improvements for himself, which, in turn, will hopefully help him gain that confidence he so desperately needs.

Photoshop has been another activity added to the list (and soon I'll be including Corel Painter X as well), which will be good for both of us, as HOPEFULLY I'll learn the programs as I fumble my way through teaching him. Gotta love the internet and books for tutorials!! LOL!!

So, off to a rather "artistic" start I guess, but at least we've started. Right now the goal is to keep him occupied so he doesn't spend so much time wearing a hole in the ground outside with all his pacing back and forth as he tells himself stories. My poor boy spends far too much time locked away in his own little world... and I know I've slacked off. Learning to juggle handling a very active, now 7 month old, plus homeschooling, AND still TRYING (yet miserably failing) to keep up with the housework, and actually get into arts n crafts myself, has certainly NOT been an easy task. But, we're getting there... ever so slowly. Hopefully this year will help me get there even more. Guess only time will tell... but I promise I will do my best to try and update this blog (and the others) far more regularly than last year's efforts.