A picture of our homeschool

Quite a few requests have come my way for a description of how our homeschooling looks. And I must admit that I'm curious to see our bigger picture too - for the day to day, moment to moment is where I've been for much of our first two weeks of this new learning adventure.

Of course, I have a plan - for the year, each term, and a rough plan for each season's focus and each week. And even if some of these are still in my head and some are down on paper, the intention is there for soul-filled learning.

But what it has actually looked like these last two weeks isn't quite the same as the plan (which was often the case when I was teaching in schools too).

This is a good sign, though. For the ability to adjust a learning program, to 'go with the flow' is an integral part of being a good teacher. And because so much of Rosie's (and Bethany's) formal learning is one-on-one now, a flexible approach that follows their leads and enthusiasm is both sensible and effective.

How can I tell?

Well I could set up elaborate assessment wheels, graphs of daily writing results, compare what we're doing with what school is doing right now....

But I'd only by trying to meet other's standards. And that's not what our homeschooling is about.

I can tell that things are going well in the way a regular Mama can tell if her child is healthy:

- I see smiles more often than before
- I see sisters building a more understanding relationship
- I see ease and grace in the way they play
- I see Rosie taking new risks - a sign of comfort and ease
- I hear her intelligent questions and see her enthusiasm for science and the natural world growing daily.

So I know.

I know with my heart, as well as my head, that its going okay. And that we're right where we need to be.

As for a picture of our homeschool....

We wake with the sun, and then doze some more

We breakfast on homemade goodies and the fruits of our garden

We use our heads in the mornings, but sometimes just get outside and pick berries

We use our hearts in the middle of the day, through art, or music, or helping others

Some days we go on an adventure somewhere - fossil-hunting, visiting a gallery, visiting a chocolate shop!

We lunch and rest and read books, and sometimes watch nature documentaries on iview

We use our hands in the afternoons - we play and cook and craft

Sometimes there is tennis, sometimes little aths, soon there will be horse riding

And as the sun goes down we share dinner, talk, play some more, read more books, clean up.

Another day is done, we wind down, time for rest.

 

Hope you enjoy the pictures. xx

Pockets of Joy

The lovely garden at Bairnsdale - full of colour and growth and love at this time of year.

Miss Bethany with her first hair cut looking decidedly grown up.

Daisies.

Part of 'The Pergola' - lovingly crafted by Dad over the last few months - with some beautiful roses already in flower.

Sandcastle building in full-swing.

Artwork in the morning - a lovely way to pass some wet weather.

Our field trip to Mallacoota has been completed by a few days visit to Noni and Pa's farm near Bairnsdale. As with previous visits here the girls are in love with the flowers, the space, the 'new' toys, Oscar the dog and of course having their beloved grandparents so close at hand.

I, again, found myself retreating to the study to peruse Mum's large collection of good books (I still manage to find something new to read after all these years). And Ian found his way to two different mountain bike parks with his bike, and had a paddle (in his kayak) in one of the local rivers (during a storm) with a friend from China. A happy Ian came home from that training session.

It's been a relaxed but busy time for all except this Mama who has felt tired, flustered and in one of those dull limbo's in this early Spring season.

I was hoping for an upwelling of inspiration this week away that would outweigh the tiredness and allow me to move forward. Instead I'm feeling stuck and find myself waiting for the time when I feel better. 

Such a waste.

This time hasn't arrived yet and tomorrow we head home and so for this Mama the focus must be on each moment as much as possible. Low times are an important part of life and creativity. I choose to believe that this low, quiet, tired time is what I need right now.

Throughout this have been pockets of joy - building sand castles on the beach, painting with Rosie, a surprise gift from Dad (thanks) and a walk with just Mum (so rare these days). These are the things that this Mama holds on to from this trip. These will travel back with me to Mount Beauty tomorrow where the next chapter begins. Whatever that may bring.

Wishing you many pockets of joy in your days.

Packing to come home

Personal growth, like the seasons, is up and down I find. There are patches of time where this Mama feels like she's floating in a kind of limbo and other times when growth is almost exponential and definitely not predictable. Like the seasons around us in Mount Beauty.

And so it has been that this Mama found herself in a limbo these last few weeks (months - goodness knows?). I haven't been knitting for a while...and I haven't been sewing...and the blog has been neglected.... Perhaps it was the cold, short days of this season. Perhaps it was just time for a plateau.

Nevertheless Spring is here with increasing vigor and today our little family of four packed and cleaned and planned for a week away. With some camping with friends near the beach to a few days with Noni and Pa, a little holiday is just what we all need.

And amid all this packing and planning and cleaning I felt a shifting in the limbo and with it came a yearning for some Soulemama - my favourite blog, which had been neglected also in said limbo. So a a sneek peek it was, but my oh my, such inspiration, such love and joy and colour and all those good things that never fail to spark some inspiration inside me were there for the taking and I couldn't resist getting out my over locker and sewing machine. Finally. After being packed away lovingly that long season ago.

And as I returned to my holiday packing, after a quick little sew (just to check it was all working of course...), I thought about how I wasn't just packing and planning and cleaning to be prepared for our holiday activities, but I that I was also preparing our home for another chapter to begin when we return. Like a clean slate, I left surfaces empty, clothes away, games and toys organised, ready for them to be filled up, pulled out and played with in a new way. And I left myself with reminders of all those exciting fabrics, patterns and ideas that sprung forth with today's inspiration - ready to unleash myself upon when we return.

I feel the upwelling of creativity just beginning. Do you?

Quiet dreaming

The house is empty except for me. The garden sings only the songs of the wind and the chickens and I are all that hear it.

If I stop. And sit. All I can hear is my breath.

Its so lovely, this quiet time. Its been too long since I had some, and although its tempting to blame circumstances for that, the reality is that the choice has always been mine. I've let chances for quiet reflection go, and I've hoped for some to come my way without putting in any effort. Now, after perhaps months of waiting, I have some time to myself.

And it feels like bliss.

My thoughts have stilled long enough for me to catch them and get some of them down on paper. I feel like I'm slowly exhaling out...out......out.......until I'm completely still and peaceful. Its delicious.

And I want some more please.

I read through my newly arrived copy of Spirited by Tara Bliss and Rachel McDonald and start asking myself some big questions - that's what reflection time is for right? That's why I've been needing this quiet space - so I can stop just doing and start thinking big again - so I can review my plans for myself and see if I'm thinking large enough - to see if I'm doing the most audacious thing I can be doing.

I think about my big dreams, some of which I've had for a while and some which are newbies:
1. I'm travelling through beautiful places in Australia visiting bookshops and signing copies of my inspiring, passionate book.
2. I'm living a joyful life where I feel freedom from self-sabotage, where I feel I can do what I dream of doing. Where my joy and inspiration is overflowing and my dreams are supported.
3. My skin is clear and radiates my natural beauty and joy.
4. I awaken each morning early, full of energy and clarity and quietly tap into a higher, loving self which guides me through my day with purpose.
5. I breathe life into my visions and dreams by sharing them with others with love through my blog and talking face to face.
6. I'm hiking to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro with great friends and in wonderful health. We have energy and a sense of accomplishment as we reach the top together.

Then I think about some other big questions - what are my gifts to the universe? And...what would happen if I treated my body with the utmost respect and kindness (from The Wellness Warrior)?
Wow, big questions indeed. And ones that will rest until my next quiet moment...as I hear the girls come in the door.

Friday book review: Handmade Home

"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little"

Edmund Burke

Aaaahhhhh....I do so love this book (and others by Amanda). Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasuresby Amanda Blake Soule (from my favourite Soulemama blog) is one of my personal favourites for crafty inspiration around our home and in nature.
This is such a lovely book because of her photos of craft with her children, the simplicity of the crafts she describes and the way she uses repurposed materials to create new things. I find it uplifting and freeing to make things from scratch, or from free or secondhand, quality materials and this book changed the way I look at craft and creativity.
I particularly like some of the things she says (because I do so like quotes and sayings):

"Our small actions can improve not only our earth, but also our hearts, our spirits, and our children - and bring about the kind of change that is the most powerful, the most heartfelt, and the most personal" (p. XIII)

"During these simple times of play and creating together we can connect so deeply to each other, build our relationships with one another, and strengthen our family bonds" (p. 116)

"The great outdoors holds so much magic for you to witness and experience together as a family. The woods, the ocean, the mountains..." (p. 149)

Sometimes this book lingers in various places around our home - on my bookstand, near my bed, on the kitchen bench. And sometimes its 'away' on the shelf with my other special books. But always its ideas and sentiments are close by should I need a little inspiration.

Enjoy.

Learning together

Learning is such a collaborative process.

As a teacher this is something I saw all the time and I worked hard to encourage collaboration, discussion and joint learning. It was one of my main agendas then, and remains very high on my list of priorities now as a parent.

Life, to me, is about joyful learning and this happens so often with someone beside us to share that joy.

From playing games together to reading side-by-side and walking hand-in-hand, learning together is so beautiful to see in our children and it fills this Mama's heart with joy to see it on display so often around this home of ours.

Enjoy, dear readers....

Nature girls

In the hub-bub of a busy school and work week its nice to take a break and spend some time playing in nature. Yesterday the girls and I took ourselves off to Mountain Creek for some painting, wandering and playing in nature in the sunshine. A lovely day for us all...

An Eastern Yellow Robin fluttered gracefully around for a while

In the 'cubby' we built

the girls in the cubby

On our nature walk - the river we followed flows off Mt Bogong and was bubbling along with snow melt

A cute hand-me-down skirt we got from a friend today - do you, like me, love little girls in skirts and dresses in the bush?

Playful learning spaces

It is paradoxical that many educators and parents still differentiate between a time for learning and a time for play without seeing the vital connection between them. - Leo F. Buscaglia

Oh, I do so love play. I love that playful feeling you get when you're learning and having fun at the same time. I see it so often, too, in our girls. They play with things, they learn more about them, and in the process they learn just a bit more about themselves.
So, since this Mama is also an educator at heart, we have a houseful of little nooks and crannies designed to encourage just this kind of playful learning, out-of-the-box thoughts and lateral thinking.
These aren't detailed, specific 'learning stations' like you might have in a classroom - more like open-ended play corners that the girls can pick and choose from, mix up together, drag apart - whatever takes their fancy whenever we're at home. Of course, these spaces also move from time to time and change shape or focus to suit our needs and keep up daily inspiration. But there's always a reading corner (such as important part of our family's life), a cleared table for creating on (our 'blank slate'), soft floor cushions and couches for reflective moments (or beds, or cubby house walls....), dolls and bears for imaginary play, a dress-up box and lately an Australian geography corner in preparation for our all-Australia travels next year.
I've written about the importance of play before because its just such a cornerstone of our approach to parenting and life. This mama very strongly believes that a playful family is a healthy family.

Good day to you all!

Family at home

This week we took Rosie out of school for a day to spend with family at home. In our life at the moment there aren't many days when all four of us have a whole day together. Either Ian is working, or I'm working, or there is a race or some training session that is important for Ian to participate in. Thursday happened to be a day when neither of us was required at work and training was short and early - a perfect day for Rosie to spend with us.
We also believe that a day spend in nature, with family, leads to greater holistic learning than a day spent as school. That's not to say that we don't want her at school at all. There are definite positives for her being there too. Its just that our balance lies in a bit of both.
So we began our day with a trip to the mountain bike park across the road where we set up our play tepee (sown by yours truly), listened to the Kookaburras laughing at us, watched kangaroos and Crimson Rosellas through our binoculars and did some painting. It was overcast and cool, but the girls enjoyed exploring the grass, hills, forest and mud. One great thing about living in Mount Beauty is the proximity of bushland to our home - with only a 5 minute walk we were in the bush, with lovely views, wild native animals and flora.
After a play back at home, we had lunch, Rosie practiced her violin and the words she's working on at school at the moment, then we spent the afternoon in the garden pruning and fertilising fruit trees and veggies and improving the chicken pen (for our adventurous chooks). Sometimes the girls helped, sometimes they played in the sandpit or in Rosie's 'outdoor circus' that she's constructed, or in the fairy garden. It was free, unstructured time in the garden - so worthwhile to the development of creativity and identity.

Our fantastic, portable paint set

Painting in nature - such a great way to develop observation skills and an appreciation of nature

Bethany joined in too

Watching a flock of Crimson Rosellas - Rosie's skill with the binoculars is improving

Bethany loves to hug trees at the moment

Heath (Epacris) growing in the Mountain Bike Park

A flock of Sulphur crested Cockatoos feeding in the leaves