tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72177670525480972352024-02-23T02:12:26.206+11:00Unschooling SarahsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217767052548097235.post-53399831493572796272012-02-19T07:41:00.000+11:002012-02-19T10:56:35.551+11:00Baby's 1st trip to the zoo<div style="text-align: justify;">We had a birthday this week, our big girl turned 4. Unfortunately her paternal grandparents couldn't make it to her party, instead we met up at the zoo yesterday to spend time with them. It was Baby Nell's first trip to the zoo and it was fantastic, our best day at the zoo, yet!</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7190/6895476277_71de361f09_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7190/6895476277_71de361f09_m.jpg" width="200" /></a>We caught the train to there. Harri finds all the signs on trains fascinating. We look at the map of all the lines and stations and she points to different spots asking if we know anyone who lives in the area. We also talk about what the illustrations alongside the rules mean. Yesterday Harri noticed the "no graffiti" rule for the first time and informed us that it meant "no salt allowed on trains" :D </div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"> The day before we went to the zoo Harri coloured in some of the sheets I had for UnKinder and told me that she would like to give her pictures to the butterflies and the elephants at the zoo. There didn't end up being attendants with the elephants or butterflies when we went to those spots in the zoo. Instead, Harri gave her pictures to one of the members of staff at the gift shop and let her know where to give her gifts :)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7204/6895474431_24469a1dbe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7204/6895474431_24469a1dbe.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7207/6895555195_b2baa54f9a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7207/6895555195_b2baa54f9a.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We saw many different types of apes, which were a big hit with the girls. At the orangutan enclosure we watched them swing from rope to rope right up against the window. It was like they were putting on a show for us :) At another ape enclosure we were looking in when BANG there was a little monkey face right in ours! It was incredible. We stood there for a while saying hi to this little guy, actually making up close eye contact. Nell was understandably amazed, quite a treat for a first trip to the zoo (which in my experience are usually slept through LOL).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7186/6895488827_07f7e290d9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7186/6895488827_07f7e290d9.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7048/6896429493_47f97925b4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7048/6896429493_47f97925b4.jpg" width="158" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7180/6895517539_67b557e6bc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7180/6895517539_67b557e6bc.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7070/6899091983_bd86a19de4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7070/6899091983_bd86a19de4.jpg" width="155" /></a><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7184/6895481263_01f4b42ca3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7184/6895481263_01f4b42ca3.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7067/6895520153_6dc296d3e2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7048/6895490407_6b48f2f463.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7048/6895490407_6b48f2f463.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The elephants and giraffes were also a hit (old favourites, those animals). </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7201/6895509823_0d32c65841.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7201/6895509823_0d32c65841.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7048/6895494239_b90c6876ec.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7048/6895494239_b90c6876ec.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7042/6895497335_0fa42c8d67.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7042/6895497335_0fa42c8d67.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7048/6895494239_b90c6876ec.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7049/6895553655_d704e42e69.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7049/6895553655_d704e42e69.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This morning we were woken to "can we go to the zoo again today?" so methinks a membership might be on the cards for our family. For all the wonderful animals we saw yesterday, there were plenty we missed and Harri is asking about them. If you've never been to Melbourne Zoo, or it's been a while, we strongly recommend getting there. It has changed so much in the years we've let pass between visits.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I leave you with some of the other pics we got :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7048/6895494239_b90c6876ec.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7203/6895480367_8d42deac84.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7203/6895480367_8d42deac84.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7067/6895520153_6dc296d3e2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7067/6895520153_6dc296d3e2.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7203/6895480367_8d42deac84.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7069/6895533947_42c522dcbb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7069/6895533947_42c522dcbb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7061/6895494969_3c4ef4ef16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7061/6895494969_3c4ef4ef16.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/111/51949265B9E9BED17DB9401CAC66144B.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217767052548097235.post-27211668823492924492012-02-16T22:33:00.002+11:002012-02-17T00:54:15.912+11:00Strewing with colours<div style="text-align: justify;">Today we had our second UnKinder gathering. I hosted this week. I had a couple of activities available for the kids: playdough on the kitchen table, colouring in sheets and crayons on the coffee table, chalk in the driveway, special crayons for window drawing, some books on the couches, and we set up our special occasion jumping castle on the front lawn. I was fully prepared for the kids to turn their noses up at all my efforts and play with Harriet's toys instead, but everyone had a go at every strewn item, I beleive o_0</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7068/6886077883_c2fb7f9583_b.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7068/6886077883_c2fb7f9583.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I can't speak for everyone, but I had a great afternoon! We had a bigger turn out this week, with five families (5 Mummas and 10 kids all up) and this week we had boy children present too. We also had the pleasure of meeting a local Mum and son we had not crossed paths with before UnKinder which is awesome. The community is growing :) </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Next week we're going bowling.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/111/51949265B9E9BED17DB9401CAC66144B.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217767052548097235.post-31930059783216303962012-02-11T14:06:00.001+11:002012-02-11T21:43:17.381+11:00Unschool Uniform: Un-shirt & Un-glassesThis weeks unschool uniform is brought to you by one of our houseguests...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6834571493_9228b77dbe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6834571493_9228b77dbe.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
For a stroll through a suburban shopping area on an overcast, drizzly day:<br />
<ul><li>Topless</li>
<li>Summer skirt</li>
<li>Sneakers</li>
</ul>And Harri at the same time:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6834573159_e404532d24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6834573159_e404532d24.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><ul><li>Goggles</li>
<li>Long sleeved shirt</li>
<li>Slap band</li>
<li>Denim skirt</li>
</ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217767052548097235.post-57203987645980099702012-02-08T23:16:00.002+11:002012-02-09T11:56:44.034+11:00Spontaneity and the flow of life<div style="text-align: justify;">Unschooling <a href="http://unschoolingsarahs.blogspot.com.au/2011/05/unschool-monay-flow-desire.html">is about </a>going with the flow of life. This week has been one of those blissful times when we find ourselves flowing, life is easy, we're content, and we would not have it any other way.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In a parallel universe Harriet started kindergarten this week. For the first time in her life she would have had to get up at a set time, force breakfast in quickly, hurriedly negotiate getting dressed and get out the door in time and then make our way to her kindergarten. Then, after a few hours at home, I would have to trek back to get her and bring home a tired three year old, whose tired behaviour I would have to work with to get through the dinner and bedtime process. Instead, we've had a two night slumber party and a lot of fun adventures. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sunday night I had been whining to Andrew: "why do we have to have the values we have? Why can't I just want to send her to kinder and school and then I'd get hours of the day to myself (when the baby grows up). Think of all the things I could get done with the kids at school!". As much as I love our unschooling life, there are things we'll miss that make me sad. I'm a sucker for uniforms and school photos, the new textbooks and stationary, and sadly, I really like school reports, LOL, yes, I have issues. I was excited for all our friends preparing to send their kids off to kinder and school for the first time this week, watching their uniform photos upload to facebook etc. And I was fantasising about spending my days playing my clarinet, working on my masters uninterupted, getting on top of all the chores that have left me overwhelmed for four years.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Monday morning I decided we would have a day at home, it felt like it had been a while since we'd stayed in. I was going to clean the house. But a friend was thinking about going to <a href="http://museumvictoria.com.au/scienceworks/">Scienceworks</a> (an interactive science museum for kids) and wondered if anyone wanted to join her. Housework or Scienceworks? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7003/6834527459_0b1a1ce76c_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7003/6834527459_a8afb1ab49.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I stand by my choice</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our only care in the world was making it home for dinner and bed. We had plenty of food and so much to do right there at our fingertips. We spent the day there, I followed wherever Harriet led. You might imagine that an interactive museum full of kids on a kids day with lots of free exhibitions and activities, would be a nightmare to navigate. But it was a breeze. I think it was because I had surrendered (or committed?) to taking the day at the three-year-old's pace. I overheard another parent say "come on, that's enough, there's so much more to see" and got the sense they were not having as easy a day as we were. We stayed in the sections which held Harriet's attention, for as long as they held her. Nell was happy wherever we were, sleeping in her sling, or crawling around enjoying her freedom, watching the kids and getting her hands on the activities within her reach. If I got bored from being in the one spot for what I felt was too long, I pulled out my notebook or cross-stitch and found something to entertain myself with while being with the girls.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We met up with our friends who had traveled as far as we had to be there, but from the opposite direction. My friend, the Mumma, also has two girls who are close to my girls ages. They were planning on coming to Unkinder down our neck of the woods the next day, which would mean another day of traveling, even further. I invited them to come home with us and cut out the following day's travel. When they agreed, I rang Andrew to warn him he'd be cooking for double the women and if he got home before us to clean as fast as he could, LOL. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7174/6834525529_05c0c27a39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7174/6834525529_05c0c27a39.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going home together</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6835086035_9533e7c30a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The next day we had <a href="http://unschoolingsarahs.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/1st-day-of-un-kinder.html">Unkinder</a> and our friends stayed a second night so that the Mumma could join me in a weekly social commitment I have each Tuesday night. Both nights I thoroughly enjoyed staying up talking to my friend. The days seemed to flow so easily when in the company of another Mum and her kids. Our girls adore one another, including the babies. There really is nothing quite like watching babies communicate, patting one another on the head with giggles and sounds of wonder. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We have a fantastic community of like-minded Mums and their children where we live. But it's world's apart from sharing parenting responsibilities with another woman, in the comfort of your own home. Gosh it made my heart ache for village days.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6835086035_9533e7c30a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6835086035_9533e7c30a.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wearing friend's baby, while she parented older ones & huz parented our babe</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Today our slumber party came to an end. It was time for our friends to return home and reconnect with their Dada/partner, whom they missed. There were some tears from our big girls who do so love one another's company. But the grief was short-lived, because unkinder is weekly and next week is our big girl's birthday, which means there is cause for another two-night slumber party, ya-hoooo!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Before fare-welling our friends, the big girls helped me bake a couple of loaves of apple and banana bread. I asked the girls to "mash the bananas until they don't look like bananas anymore", this appealed greatly to their destructive sides, and all day Harriet has been telling anyone who will listen "I made a 'nana not a 'nana!" :D For me what makes this communal bread baking all the more heart-warming is that the bread is for a friend about to give birth for the fifth time. I'm taking it to her on Saturday and look forward to telling her just how much love it was made with (what good energy she should absorb from this food!)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6839039375_6facd196a2_z.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6839039375_6facd196a2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">While it's a lot quieter here tonight, I miss my friends. I am on such a high from the wonderful week we've had. I feel so very fortunate to lead this life. I love that I can wake up one morning to a day of house cleaning and end up having a slumber party with a family I haven't seen for months. A slumber party as a 29 year old attachment mother of two littlies :) I love that we can sleep as long as we need, eat whenever we please, and that we're only answerable to one another. There's no paperwork if we want to opt out of our plans and there's no "you need to do THIS by THIS TIME because we HAVE to do THIS NEXT". And I know that there can be moments of freedom like this for schooling families too, but I grew up in that environment and I watch others in it, and I wonder if they realise the freedom they could have? I know that unschooling does not suit everyone. But I wonder how many more people it would suit if it were given half a chance?<br />
<br />
In any case, despite the few superficial schooly things I had looked forward to before I found out about unschooling, I know with every fiber of my being that we are on the right path right now, and it feels sensational.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: right;"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/111/51949265B9E9BED17DB9401CAC66144B.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217767052548097235.post-91000419725765634002012-02-08T00:15:00.003+11:002012-02-08T12:52:57.083+11:001st Day of Un-Kinder<div style="text-align: justify;">As <a href="http://unschoolingsarahs.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/john-holt-unkinder.html">previously mentioned</a> we have started a weekly meet for unschooling families with young children around the kindergarten ages, which we're calling "unkinder". Today we had our first gathering at a local swimming pool that has some cool water features for the little ones. To start the day off we had obligatory first day photos ;)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6835450355_c3337512a2.jpg"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6835450355_c3337512a2.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6834561985_767656f8d5.jpg"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6834561985_767656f8d5.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6835420185_f7cf2fe6ac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Then we made our way to the pool where we had fun playing in the water with our friends. All our eldest girls would be starting kindergarten this year, which was a rather cool coincidence. Being into the whole natural learning thing, age differences don't mean as much to us as they might others, so it did make me giggle that the girls ended up hanging out with kids the "right" age even at our unschool thing ;) But having said that there was also a 2 year old, 1 year old and 9 month old in attendance.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6835420185_f7cf2fe6ac_b.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6835420185_f7cf2fe6ac.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Next week's unkinder is going to be at Sarah Patricia's house. She's planning home-made play-dough of many colours, chalk drawings on the drive-way, colouring in sheets and maybe even a jumping castle :) We're hopefully going to meet another unschool family with some older kids, including some boys. John Holt Unkinder is going co-ed ;D</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217767052548097235.post-8335664724093015912012-02-03T13:09:00.002+11:002012-02-03T13:09:00.630+11:00Unschool Uniform: Flapper with sensible footwear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6764944173_f11a3bf35c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6764944173_f11a3bf35c.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6764944765_6e0c066f48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6764944765_6e0c066f48.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Kicking off 2012's unschool uniform with a lovely little flapper inspired number. For a day at home unpacking boxes ;)<br />
<ul></ul><ul><li>Sequined feather headband</li>
<li>Pink shirt (2nd hand)</li>
<li>Green floral skirt (2nd hand)</li>
<li>Sneakers (2nd hand)</li>
<li>Red lipstick</li>
<li>A dab of mascara on her eyelid</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: right;"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/111/51949265B9E9BED17DB9401CAC66144B.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*cosmetics stolen and self-applied </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217767052548097235.post-44966001042458515982012-01-31T18:09:00.000+11:002012-01-31T18:09:00.450+11:00A Day in the Unschooling Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6788698387_be1a99fc59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6788698387_be1a99fc59.jpg" width="361" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/111/51949265B9E9BED17DB9401CAC66144B.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217767052548097235.post-81593055351082447992012-01-30T10:00:00.002+11:002012-02-07T18:17:24.439+11:00John Holt Unkinder<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6775202745_f229209abf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6775202745_f229209abf.jpg" width="200" /></a>It's been a long time between posts, but we're back! (Not before some stern words from one of our fans LOL, I expect to see her comment!). It's a new year, my big girl turns 4 in two weeks. This would be the year that both Sarah Jane's big girl and mine would be starting kindergarten. 2012 is the year I am making one of my dreams a reality: unschool kinder in our local area.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Where we live there are some great programs, groups and activities for children over the age of 6, but for those of us home educating from the outset, I have not found anything for the not-kindergarteners and not-pre-schoolers. But we know that Sarah Jane, myself and our friend "Alemona" are unschooling and have children 4 years and under, and on the weekend we discovered another friend, new to our circle is also considering unschooling and has a child around the same age. My dream is a weekly gathering that changes venue and hosts from week to week. Whoever is host for that week selects the venue and the activities to strew for the children (who can take or leave the activities). It will be an opportunity for home educating parents to connect with one another and share our journeys, our kids will spend time with other kids living the same lifestyle as their families and at the end of the week those of us who struggle with labels like "productivity", "socialisation", "proof of learning", will be able to say "we achieved something this week" :)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the weekend Sarah Jane helped me come up with a name for our Unkinder and I made a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/180434068731223/">Facebook group</a> for us to keep one another up to date with upcoming events. We decided to name our Unkinder after a famous author who has inspired unschoolers through his works, introducing: John Holt Unkinder: </div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote class="tr_bq">"My unkinder vision: a weekly gathering of home learning locals during the day when some friends are at kindergarten. Rotating venues: local hubs of learning: libraries, swimming pools, the beach, parks and our homes. Each week a different family strews the path for the group.<br />
<br />
1 week the kids might have a craft <span class="text_exposed_show">project at Saree's house, the next week they might have access to Spanish worksheets at mine. Totally up to you what we do and up to the kids whether they do it or not. Whether the kids chose to do the activities offered to them or strew their own paths with each other, regardless, we parents will get to connect with each other on a weekly basis and share the journey.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="text_exposed_show">Meets will be based in our local suburb and surrounds but visitors from afar are welcome. Children of all ages are welcome, strewing will most likely target the 4 year mark, but being free-range types we don't mind if our kindergarteners are 4, 12, or 30."</span><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text"></span><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text"></span></blockquote></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">Our first day of semester starts on Tuesday February 7 with a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/225364500884641/">Not-the-1st-day-of-kinder swim</a> at a local aquatic centre. If you're a home educating family please feel free to join the group and our first event, and let other home learning families know about us. We'd love to meet more local unschoolers, or those considering home educating to know about us.</span><span class="text_exposed_show"> </span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/111/51949265B9E9BED17DB9401CAC66144B.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217767052548097235.post-79675987339060681382011-10-17T09:12:00.002+11:002011-10-17T10:46:11.238+11:00Unschooling Works! -Unschool Monday<div style="text-align: justify;">I'm feeling happy and relieved, unschooling works ;) Last week Iris started writing numbers. No one has taught her how to do that. She saw some numbers on my desk and said "Look Mum, you have 1 and a 3 a, but no 2. I will draw you a 2" and then she got a crayon and wrote a perfect 2, I've never seen her do anything like that before. Then she thought she'd have a go at writing 3, found it a bit difficult but found it a bit hard so moved on to 4 and aced that first go.<br />
<br />
Then she realised we live at number 24 so she put the two numbers together and wrote the number that we live at. She's very pleased with herself too.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6047/6233926367_a57e7b30bc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6047/6233926367_a57e7b30bc.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I'm joining in <a href="http://owlet-designs.blogspot.com/2011/10/unschool-monday-mother-nature-strewing.html">Unschool Monday</a> at <a href="http://owlet-designs.blogspot.com/">Owlet</a>.<br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/109/38F3AE4350F7C8EBBD9D6BF7C828F5DD.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217767052548097235.post-40207583875077766242011-10-13T20:26:00.008+11:002011-10-13T23:14:25.062+11:00Some Hope<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5023/5549001549_92b5316f5f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5023/5549001549_92b5316f5f.jpg" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too cool for school</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">I've been pondering what our lives would be like if I hadn't discovered homeschooling. How different it would be.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I am so glad that I never took anyone's advice about putting Iris in childcare and kinder, or any structured environment. The only reason I realised that she is different and not just "being difficult" is because I spend so much time with her and am connected to her.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Iris would have already been at kinder for a year now, just as we're getting her diagnosis in our homeschool journey. If she had entered the education system she would've been labelled a "difficult child" and <i>"Sarah's</i> child and Sarah never coped with school". </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">There would have been so many "justs". "She's just difficult", "she's just bad tempered". With hindsight I probably have Aspergers too. Instead, for my entire school life I was "just rigid", "just over emotional".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Understanding the similarities between Iris and I helps because you can almost call me a functioning adult in the world. Eventually I learned how to be a functioning member of society and have relationships. It gives me hope that Iris will be okay because I'm okay.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/109/38F3AE4350F7C8EBBD9D6BF7C828F5DD.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217767052548097235.post-80999004701305262812011-10-11T00:06:00.009+11:002011-10-11T00:19:42.795+11:00A Quote For Sarah Jane<blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;">"Unschooling is simply a way to tailor learning to the specific needs of each child and each family. No two unschooling families follow the same path-and no two children within the same unschooling family are likely to go exactly in the same direction"</div></blockquote><blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"> - Mary Griffith, <i>The Unschooling Handbook</i>, page ix</div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6041/6230153279_1d9cccf00b_z.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6041/6230153279_1d9cccf00b.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/111/51949265B9E9BED17DB9401CAC66144B.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217767052548097235.post-52432110162116811912011-10-10T20:17:00.001+11:002011-10-11T22:34:00.501+11:00Unschool & Aspergers? Unschool Monday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1051/5148577682_81db5f8410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1051/5148577682_81db5f8410.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our unschooling journey isn't going to work the way I thought it would because Iris has Aspergers. In one way it's positive because four years of strange social behaviour, tantrums and obsessions are explained. But I'm wondering what this means for unschooling and our family.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">For the past couple of years I've wondered why following the traditional radical unschooling approach wasn't working. Why she wasn't self-moderating, why she wasn't initiating play, why any activities we participated in and excursions ended in literal tears from both of us. With her diagnosis these things are beginning to make sense. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">But if radical unschooling isn't going to work in our family, what is our homeschooling going to look like? Is it possible to unschool a child with Aspergers?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rationally I can see why she's with me. I have resources others don't have. But I'm still really sad about it. The Godmother I chose for Iris is perfect, she has resources to help, with her own child on the spectrum. We have people in our lives who can offer support, who have experience with children like Iris.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">One of the ideas I have to let go of is that if I put in enough effort, enough activities, enough love and resources it would look like what other unschooling families seem to have. I wondered why our days didn't just flow like other families. In other families it seemed that if they gave their children enough freedom there would be less conflict and more harmony. But it wasn't like that for us.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I wanted the flow, the natural rhythm of the day. There is no flow in our house. Right now I am sad, mourning what can't be in our family.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm joining in Owlet's <a href="http://owlet-designs.blogspot.com/2011/10/unschool-monday-following-strewing.html">Unschool Monday</a>.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/109/38F3AE4350F7C8EBBD9D6BF7C828F5DD.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217767052548097235.post-11992596801958635532011-10-06T20:16:00.000+11:002011-10-06T20:16:07.036+11:00A Day in the Unschooling Life<div style="text-align: justify;">This week I decided to record what Harriet did all day on a day when we did not have any plans to catch up with friends. A home day that included one short trip out (which she slept through lol).</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6035/6212984447_8218dc4c67.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6035/6212984447_8218dc4c67.jpg" width="330" /></a></div><div style="text-align: right;"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/111/51949265B9E9BED17DB9401CAC66144B.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217767052548097235.post-8430535191677512292011-10-05T14:05:00.000+11:002011-10-05T14:05:35.620+11:00Wordless Wednesday: Riding Unschool Style<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6160/6203419496_40835df53b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6160/6203419496_40835df53b.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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I'm joining in on Wordless Wednesday with Trish at <a href="http://mylittledrummerboys.blogspot.com/">My Little Drummer Boys</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217767052548097235.post-11516892771377250492011-10-04T15:08:00.000+11:002011-10-04T15:08:37.120+11:00Unschool Uniform: one size fits all?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6147/6202944591_56a3415007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6147/6202944591_56a3415007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
For a quiet day at home.<br />
<ul><li>Mumma sized sun hat</li>
<li>Sundress which is rapidly approaching the too tight to wear stage</li>
<li>One of Mumma's purple croc boots</li>
<li>One of Mumma's red croc boots</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: right;"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/111/51949265B9E9BED17DB9401CAC66144B.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217767052548097235.post-73457087760197023352011-10-01T05:13:00.000+10:002011-10-01T13:33:36.204+10:00A Day in the Unschooling LifeIn answer to the question: "so, what do you do all day?" I give you:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6172/6197527908_3b93c9c830_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6172/6197527908_3b93c9c830_z.jpg" width="323" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well, what Harriet does all day ;)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/111/51949265B9E9BED17DB9401CAC66144B.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217767052548097235.post-8027861348450445442011-09-30T06:23:00.003+10:002011-10-06T20:30:35.668+11:00Share Your Monthly "Classrooms"<div style="text-align: justify;">Following in Owlet and Yay For Home!'s footsteps, we've decided to create a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme">meme</a>. We're now doing one monthly <a href="http://unschoolingsarahs.blogspot.com/search/label/world%20is%20a%20classroom">"Our Classrooms"</a> post, which tracks some of our daughters' learning spaces throughout the month. We've added the option for other bloggers to share a link to their own posts about their "classrooms". Hopefully sharing our links this way will lead to us discovering new blogs and getting inspired by the interesting spaces other families have learned in throughout the month.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">To promote our meme you can copy the code from the box below and paste it into the sidebar of your own blog:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: centre;"><span style="color: #333333;"></span><br />
<center><span style="color: #333333;"><img alt="http://unschoolingsarahs.blogspot.com/search/label/world%20is%20a%20classroom" height="216" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6014/6193914659_1af4a0b69c_o.jpg" style="border: 0px none;" title="Share This Button" width="180" /></span></center><br />
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<center><textarea cols="28" id="code-source" name="code-source" rows="3"><a href="http://unschoolingsarahs.blogspot.com/search/label/world%20is%20a%20classroom"><img border="0" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6014/6193914659_1af4a0b69c_o.jpg" /></a></textarea></center></div></div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Head on over to our <a href="http://unschoolingsarahs.blogspot.com/2011/09/our-classrooms-september.html">September classrooms post </a>to add your link. For anyone wondering how we created a tile table of photos for that post, we used <a href="http://bighugelabs.com/mosaic.php">Big Huge Labs 'Mosaic Maker'</a>. Feel free to do the same, but no pressure to come up with a classroom for every day of the month, even one is cool :)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">While you're in the sharing mood, why not copy the code below and add an 'Unschooling Sarahs' tile to your blog's sidebar too?</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: centre;"><span style="color: #333333;"></span><br />
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<center><span style="color: #333333;"><img alt="unschoolingsarahs.blogspot.com" height="180" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5172/5531319157_e747f7c83b_o.jpg" style="border: 0px none;" title="Share This Button" width="180" /></span></center><br />
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<center><textarea cols="28" id="code-source" name="code-source" rows="3"><a href="http://unschoolingsarahs.blogspot.com"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5172/5531319157_e747f7c83b_o.jpg" /></a></textarea></center></div></div><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/111/51949265B9E9BED17DB9401CAC66144B.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217767052548097235.post-42449696030076472592011-09-29T06:03:00.013+10:002011-09-29T12:10:49.718+10:00Our Classrooms: September<div style="text-align: justify;">As natural learners we understand that the whole world is a classroom. Here are some of our daughters' learning spaces from the past month.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>1. Garden </b>2. Sling <i>3. Kids section of the Museum</i> <u>4. Farm</u> <b> </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>5. Picnic table</b> 6. Library <i>7. Kitchen table </i><u>8. Loungeroom</u> <b> </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>9. Vet clinic</b> 10. Trampoline <i>11. Vegetable patch</i> <u>12. Museum</u> <b> </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>13. Kitchen bench</b> 14. Driveway <i>15. Plaza bench</i> 1<u>6. Discarded box</u> <b> </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>17. Friend's couch</b> 18. Park <i>19. Friend's kitchen bench</i> <u>20. Daddy!</u> <b> </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>21. Great Grandmother </b>22. A friend's lounge room <i>23. Swimming pool</i> <u>24. Family bed </u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u> </u><b>25. A tree</b> 26. The dining room <i>27. Brick fence</i> <u>28. Bike trailer</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: right;"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/111/51949265B9E9BED17DB9401CAC66144B.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217767052548097235.post-58359020353932010902011-09-26T17:14:00.001+10:002011-09-28T21:53:47.153+10:00It Doesn't Feel Like The Pictures Said It Would<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6202/6035026701_617009f4e3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6202/6035026701_617009f4e3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">in front of a screen again</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Lately I've been feeling like I suck at being an unschool mum. Harriet has a great social life, there's no question of that. But when we're at home a lot of the time I feel like I'm failing her. There always seems to be a DVD on, when there's art the materials are a higledy-pigeldy mess of broken or dying textas, pens and crayons, if Harri's need for stimulation is being met then the housework is in chaos and if the house is clean then I'm clearly neglecting intellectual and emotional needs of little people. "Says who?" a saner person might ask and I know the answer is: the merciless critic<u> inside my head</u>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">What would I say to Sarah Jane if she were to let her merciless inner critic run wild? Well, much to her frustration I would call on her to reframe the lot of it: find the positive. Then I'd encourage her to find ways to change whatever she feels needs to be changed, so that she no longer felt like she were failing. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Reframing...</div><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Everything is educational! </li>
<li>The higeldy-pigeldy art supplies make for truly unique work</li>
<li>Harriet couldn't care less about the state of the supplies, so long as there's something to draw with and on (in truth she doesn't much care about the 'on' either, she'll use her body as a canvas!)</li>
<li>Harri is hardly lacking, she has: parents who give her their time and attention, a busy social life, many books, outlets for creativity, a baby sister who she delights in, outlets for movement, local resources including: playgrounds, the library, the beach, parks, friends homes, museums, art galleries, the aquarium, public transport, DVDs, other adults, outlets for noise, etc.</li>
<li>She's not even school aged yet, so if I'm worrying about her missing out on something her school-going contemporaries are experiencing then I need not fear: they're all at home too!</li>
<li>A tidy house doesn't equal unhappy children, there's just a different between 'tidy' and 'immaculate' and you're adjusting to this new standard made necessary by the advent of reproduction.</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So why am I being so hard on my self at the moment? I am coming to the realisation that unschooling doesn't look the way that I had hoped. I know that no matter which path we chose, it would look messier and be more demanding of me than I first expected. That's just life (for example, I thought having children would be predominantly fun O_o). So many beautiful blogs out there sporting glamorous snaps of their Montessori playrooms, Steiner toys and Unschool moments. And now friggin' Pinterest is shoving images of other people's perfection in my face constantly lol. And this is where the ideas for change need to come...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">There's only so many things we can work on improving at any one time. Lately I've been focusing on being more organised with household obligations and sneaking minerals and vitamins into my three year old. Now, I need to find a way to add: more proactive "strewing" into this mix. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Finding activities and items of interest for Harri and setting them up before I go to bed so they're ready to go first thing in the morning.</li>
<li>In order to do dot point one I need to find mess-free (or limited) activities appropriate for a thee year old to do herself while I'm preparing breakfast. </li>
<li>Preparing meals and snacks ahead of time so we're not stranded at home until after eating or buying food out</li>
<li>Setting up a Harriet lunch box in the morning full of ready to go snacks so that by 2PM I'm not screaming "all you do is bloody eat! I haven't sat down all day!"</li>
<li>Get many washing baskets/plastic tubs to facilitate super swift tidying: chuck anything not in it's right place into the tubs to be put out of the way and sorted when time permits.</li>
<li>After moving house in the next month perhaps try washing dishes and folding laundry as items appear, rather than leaving it.</li>
<li><a href="http://theparentingpit.com/2008/05/12/finding-the-yes/">Find the yes </a>with more commitment </li>
<li>Organise the craft supplies and update them, set them up so H can get to them herself (don't pressure myself to do this before moving house!)</li>
<li>Blog here more often because it makes me reorder my thoughts and realise that we're actually doing a lot of great stuff regularly and I'm not a detached overlord of a couch potato. Goal: publish an "Our Classrooms" post once a month and "A day in the life" post once a week.</li>
<li>Read <a href="http://unschoolingsarahs.blogspot.com/p/for-someone-special.html"><u style="color: red;"><b>this</b></u></a> often!</li>
</ul><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/111/51949265B9E9BED17DB9401CAC66144B.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217767052548097235.post-2728917361692448182011-09-23T22:04:00.001+10:002011-10-04T17:41:34.722+11:00Unschool Uniform: Beachwear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6151/6172591646_3e61eee14c_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6151/6172591646_3e61eee14c_m.jpg" /></a></div><br />
For a sunny day, maybe even a trip to the beach.<br />
<br />
<ul><li>sunhat</li>
<li>bathers, worn backwards</li>
<li>gumboots</li>
<li>sundress (not pictured)* </li>
</ul><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/111/51949265B9E9BED17DB9401CAC66144B.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*She was apparently too sweaty for the dress, and insisted that the line on her bathers meant that was the back of them, any suggestion otherwise was met with explosive tanty.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217767052548097235.post-36927967462506235512011-08-29T18:04:00.001+10:002011-09-28T20:58:36.022+10:00Our Classrooms: AugustAs natural learners we understand that the whole world is a classroom. Here are some of our daughters' learning spaces from the past month.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6010/6191845134_0f1b33aed2_b.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6010/6191845134_0f1b33aed2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to enlarge</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">1. A rubber mat construct 2. The beach 3. The kitchen 4. The dinning room table 5. The bath 6. The kitchen floor 7. A stranger's front porch 8. The back of Sarah Jane's bike 9. Upon her own bike 10. A friend's playdough table 11. The dining room with bubble mix 12. A friend's desk</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: right;"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/111/51949265B9E9BED17DB9401CAC66144B.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217767052548097235.post-46727948011223817612011-07-08T07:52:00.000+10:002011-07-08T15:23:22.698+10:00Paint Swatting<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5119/5896809496_44303e4f54.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5119/5896809496_44303e4f54.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I first learned about paintings made using fly swats from a link shared by friends on facebook to <a href="http://teachertomsblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/fly-swatter-painting.html">Teacher Tom's Blog</a>. Knowing Harri's love for painting and also for wacking her father and our cat ;) I had a hunch she'd like this activity.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">All you need is paint, a fly swat and a big sheet of paper. A tray for the paint would have been a good idea too, we sacrificed some plates to the project.<br />
<br />
We got a stack of sheets from our local fish 'n chip shop for $1. I bought a set of three fly swats, thinking she could have one for each of the the three colours of paint we had, that was fairly naive of me. She had heaps of fun using three swats and three colours at once.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6030/5908332551_eea4256472.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6030/5908332551_eea4256472.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5275/5908887878_56591d9577.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5275/5908887878_56591d9577.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
And it just wouldn't be painting if we didn't up with a daughter who is her own canvas ;P</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5119/5896809496_44303e4f54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6044/5908892252_33edfabcc1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6044/5908892252_33edfabcc1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: right;"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/111/51949265B9E9BED17DB9401CAC66144B.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217767052548097235.post-41381601015716166692011-07-05T19:51:00.002+10:002011-07-06T19:12:56.809+10:00Around the world in 80 Plates: Zambia<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5320/5890276721_eb7657c169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5320/5890276721_eb7657c169.jpg" width="200" /></a>This week Harri chose Zambia, from a friend's poster map. Some Internet research taught us that a popular Zambian dish is <a href="http://www.bridgewater.edu/%7Emtembo/nshimachapter1.htm">Nshima</a> (also popular in other African countries). Nshima is made from corn flour and water, to us Australians that is. To our foreign friends corn flour is known as maize and corn meal. Nshima is served with <a href="http://ukzambians.co.uk/travel/?p=820">Ndiwo</a>, a side dish (or two) known to Westerners as relishes, made with vegetables, peanut powder and sometimes meat.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was interesting to learn that Nshima is <a href="http://people.bridgewater.edu/%7Emtembo/menu/nshima/nshima.shtml">more than a dish, </a>it comes with a rich (and <a href="http://pa-nsaka.blogspot.com/2011/05/truth-about-nshima-or-pap-its-weapon-of.html">controversial</a>) history. The way Nshima is prepared, served and eaten is steeped in cultural tradition. For example everyone eating the meal must wash their hand first, using a jug to pour water over their hands, which falls into a large bowl beaneath their hands. The order in which family members wash their hands and are served their Nshima is based on age and sex, with older males being first in line.</div><blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;">"Zambians are generally raised to believe that only <span style="font-style: italic;">nshima</span> constitutes a full and complete meal. Any other foods eaten in between are regarded either as snacks or a temporary less filling or inadequate substitute or a mere appetizer. Lets say you meet a Zambian late in the afternoon and ask him if he or she has eaten. Most likely they will tell you that they haven’t eaten all day although they might have eaten a sandwich, peanuts, milk, and a few other non-<span style="font-style: italic;">nshima</span> foods. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Nshima</span> is such a key factor loaded with such emotional investment in the diet that many rituals, expectations, expressions, customs, beliefs, and songs have developed in the culture around working for, cooking, and eating of <span style="font-style: italic;">nshima</span>. For example, nshima is best when eaten steaming hot. A <span style="font-style: italic;">Chewa</span> speaking man in Eastern Zambia, in moments of great masculine exuberance might say: <br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">"Ndine mwamuna ine, yikapola ndi ya mwana!"</span> <br />
<br />
"I am a man who eats only hot nshima, if its cold I give it to children." </div></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;">We got together ingredients to make Nshima (corn flour and water) and two Nwido dishes. We did a beef Nwido which included onion, peanut powder (from peanuts we crushed ourselves), onion, cherry tomatoes, vegetable oil and a spinach one that included everything from the first, except the beef. <br />
<a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5319/5905519578_dd6d7c8249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
We prepared our vegies, crushed our peanuts, boiled our beef and then got started on the Nshima. First <a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5319/5905519578_dd6d7c8249.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>batch was a lumpy disaster. Second batch was looking good, but when we finished it we realised it wasn't thick enough, tried adding more flour and then ended up with another lumpy batch. By this time <a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5319/5905519578_dd6d7c8249.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5319/5905519578_dd6d7c8249.jpg" width="240" /></a>it had been a long time since we started cooking, so we decided to give up and eat what we had.<br />
<br />
Before eating we did the hand washing ritual, which was the highlight of the meal. Harri barely ate a single mouthful, but spent a lot of time washing her hands throughout mealtime. Adults ate out of hunger, but agreed the recipes had gone horribly wrong, though we don't know how. It provided many laughs and we agreed to never eat it ever again.<br />
<br />
Also, in the interests of natural learning and being open to cultures other than our own, I intentionally tasted a tomato for the for the first time in 22 years.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5076/5908284020_71a2e2c7be_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5076/5908284020_71a2e2c7be_z.jpg" /></a></div>Tomatoes and I just aren't friends (big thanks to Huz for capturing these moments lol).<br />
<br />
So that was Zambia night. Huz is hopeful that next week Harri might choose the US ;)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6045/5907705201_4f2d5ff296_b.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6045/5907705201_4f2d5ff296.jpg" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: right;"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/111/51949265B9E9BED17DB9401CAC66144B.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217767052548097235.post-57251983261424051632011-07-02T11:48:00.001+10:002011-07-02T14:04:05.335+10:00Poi Workshops<div style="text-align: justify;">A couple of weeks ago we celebrated Yule with some friends. Part of our festivities included fire twirling:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ESZ2tmUYtgo" width="560"></iframe></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2622/4182885209_a6f0f66204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2622/4182885209_a6f0f66204.jpg" width="287" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">What better skill for our freakshow of unschooled children to learn?! Art that burns! Anyway, we asked Loz (our firey friend who organises local twirling get togethers) how to get started and she suggested putting tennis balls in the ends of knee high socks to create home made poi.<br />
<br />
First we practiced at home:</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5192/5865541365_19411794b7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5192/5865541365_19411794b7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5228/5866095554_7840188455.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5228/5866095554_7840188455.jpg" width="308" /></a> </div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">It is a lot of fun, whether you're 3 years old or 28. But, you need more room than a lounge room can provide. Next we headed to the beach with Sarah Jane and her girls:</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5078/5866104642_b7089549a1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5078/5866104642_b7089549a1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6031/5866105692_5e224ee5e2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6031/5866105692_5e224ee5e2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sarah Jane about 2 seconds before she hit herself in the head</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5192/5865541365_19411794b7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>And of course, we practiced outdoors at home:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5066/5890428163_af62c888ee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5066/5890428163_af62c888ee.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5315/5890994416_fe1836e28f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5315/5890994416_fe1836e28f.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using poi for elephant trunks is also a big hit</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
After practicing at home with our socks and balls, we joined the local fireies and had a go at glowstring poi, the fire staff, twirling glow sticks and we watched in awe at friends with fire poi:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5268/5890260729_a9138ee96e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5268/5890260729_a9138ee96e.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5 of our fire twirling friends at play</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6049/5890797238_b51d3cbdcd.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6049/5890797238_b51d3cbdcd.jpg" width="326" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sarah Patrticia with poi</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5024/5890239359_0b175e71ec.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5024/5890239359_0b175e71ec.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loz dancing</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5159/5890232527_9e8833d3a0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5159/5890232527_9e8833d3a0.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harri with glow sticks, Sarah Patricia with glowstring poi</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6040/5890267431_2a5acb69a8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6040/5890267431_2a5acb69a8.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harri with the fire staff</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5119/5890799040_6cec5c38cc.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5119/5890799040_6cec5c38cc.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sarah Patricia with poi</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5307/5890792936_fa0e1a5612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5307/5890792936_fa0e1a5612.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harri dancing to her friend's poi-ing</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5262/5890828988_fbaaab1ee9.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5262/5890828988_fbaaab1ee9.jpg" width="283" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bubby loved watching the fire</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5302/5890800730_52c20b4eac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5302/5890800730_52c20b4eac.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harri twirling glow sticks, Mumma with poi</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5104/5890789308_e18e645726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5104/5890789308_e18e645726.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Friend with the glowstring poi</td></tr>
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Someone also brought their drums along, Harri had a great time thumping out her own beats.<br />
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<div style="text-align: right;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5262/5890804490_164c1496d8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5262/5890804490_164c1496d8.jpg" width="163" /></a><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6039/5890830134_dee204ca5f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6039/5890830134_dee204ca5f.jpg" width="153" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Our friends are hoping to get together one night every month for a fire twirling/poi/drum night, so we've decided a set of our own poi would be a wise investment. And maybe down the track some fire twirling gear too.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/111/51949265B9E9BED17DB9401CAC66144B.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7217767052548097235.post-67948934521020091432011-06-30T23:28:00.000+10:002011-06-30T23:28:37.480+10:00Home Made Face Paint<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6053/5886642193_1aa0d17ac0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6053/5886642193_1aa0d17ac0.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5265/5887017611_478cb98a67_o.jpg"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Last week I discovered the <a href="http://www.icanteachmychild.com/p/about.html">I can teach my child</a> blog. It's a great hub of ideas for fun activities kids enjoy. Knowing our eldest's love of painting herself, I thought she's get a kick out of <a href="http://www.icanteachmychild.com/2011/06/homemade-face-paint.html">home made face paint</a>. We invited some friends around to share the fun.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5265/5887017611_478cb98a67_o.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5265/5887017611_cc1ab31e59.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">A great time was had; it was a gorgeous afternoon. We found that the actual recipe for making the paint didn't work so well. We ended up with hardened clumps setting in liquid or little dry clumps. Instead we mixed <b>water</b> and <b>corn flour</b> together with a fork until we got a consistency we felt was close enough to paint. Then we poured the white mix into egg carton spaces and the kids added <b>food dye</b>, mixed and started painting. (Harri was big on painting 'dinosuars' on herself and I.<br />
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When the kids were finished they had a run around in the long grass, all rainbow and laughing (and some divine singing too). We're looking forward to doing it all again sometime soon.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5307/5886529935_41479085e2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5307/5886529935_41479085e2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: right;"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/111/51949265B9E9BED17DB9401CAC66144B.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0pt none ! important;" /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0