28 October 2013

unschool monday :: whole family learning

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I'm constantly astonished at how this unschooling life evolves. And yet, I've always had a sense of how things would flow as we settled in and it all became second nature... And it has. So much so that I forgot about noting it here for a time and, as such, I'm not sure that Unschool Monday is a thing anymore... but hey, it's Monday and I'm writing about unschooling, so why not? Anyhow, it flows, this life. And we flow with it. And what we have created in our little nest is a group of people all working towards a common goal - to love each other, make life a little easier, and to help. We help out and take turns and communicate openly and it seems there's always someone to lend a hand if another's hands are busy. These owlets are turning into the most excellent humans, who see a need to help and (most of the time), gladly step up.

Big Owlet has become the most patient of teachers for Little Owlet, who will ask for help with spelling, writing and reading multiple times a day. What's brilliant is that there's always someone to answer Little Owlet and help her on her way. And understands there are loads of people available to help her and she's supported in her learning. When little bursts of development happen for her and she, for example, solves a maths problem in her head upon waking in the morning (this happens lots right now), she knows she's supported by more than just one of us. There's a whole gang of us cheering her on!

But it's not just Little Owlet who's benefiting here... When any of us takes on something new, we all pitch in to help them learn it. Of course, there are always basic needs like "I'm hungry, I'm tired, she hurt me, can you carry me?... Muuuuuuummmm!!!" going on. And we meet those needs. We move through it. And that takes up much of the day. But there's support too. And so we find ourselves going to pick up Huz from a run at 8.30am on a Saturday morning... Or everyone will feign interest and don the gardening gloves to help implement my permaculture design. We're in this together.

We help each other. It's good. It's what gets things done and its how these excellent humans learn to seek and create communities where everyone lives by this code. There is no competition. There are no rules to abide, or tests to pass. Only enthusiasm and help and learning and support. We are creating the kind of world we want to live in by listening and supporting and learning together. Imagine that!

How does learning look for your family right now? 
How was your Monday? 
Have a happy one! xo



8 October 2013

Little Owlet :: Chef

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Nothing brings Little Owlet more joy than cooking. When she was a baby she'd cry and cry while I cooked dinner until I put her in a rocker on the kitchen bench. She'd sit in the sling on my hip and grab the spoon from my hand. Since she could see over the bench, she's been there alongside me, asking, advising, tasting. Now she just walks up when I'm cooking, grabs the spoon and takes over. Cooking together is our thing. Cooking is her thing.

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She adores making up her own recipes and collaborating on ideas. And she's super picky on presentation. Many a time I've seen her rearrange the pikelets on our afternoon tea plate on it's way to the table. When she chooses what tv show to watch together, its always a cooking show... "So I can learn to cook everything, Mama!" She loves woman chefs and cooks best. She looks for role models... Maggie Beer is her favourite - "Grammy Beer", she calls her.

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It's such a delight to watch the delighted little spark inside her when she indulges her passion. Aside from all the delicious food she cooks/we eat/we discuss.... She's learning to count, to measure, to multiply, to read. She's learning to cook.

What are your owlets passionate about? 
Is it something you share? Or do they do it on their own? 
Do you like making up recipes? Or do you follow the book?

This is Little Owlet's Apple Upside Down Cake. Aside from flour, sugar and milk, we can't remember the recipe. But it was yum. 

xx

7 October 2013

Everything and nothing...

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I've been absent for the longest time in such a long time... Life has been always busy, always messy and very, very full. Full of one very busy toddler, a business and regular day-to-day life which seems to  be full of everything and nothing all at once.

 Like a Monday morning where you can't remember all the wonderful, busy, simple things you got up to on the weekend... There's nothing. I've lost the momentum and with it the words... I have so much to share about our recent days. I have the pictures too! But right now, I've got to focus on sleep. Somehow I reckon once that picks up, everything will just flow. Meanwhile, this is what everyday life is looking like at our nest these days... Lots of dreaming and planning, gardening and relaxing. Everything and yet nothing...

More soon. I promise. I have the pictures!!

How are you going? 

Getting enough sleep? 

What do your days look like? xo