Starting out...

We've started this blog to keep you up to date with the daily goings on in our happy family, about our vision and dreams, and as we achieve them let you enjoy them with us. We've always had a bit if a different way of looking at life, and made some interesting choices along the way, spending parts of the first ten years after school backpacking and working to live, whilst the majority of our peers were living to work
Edward Abbey had a great way of looking at life

Over the past few years we've been toying with the idea of homeschooling and doing some extended travel with Jess and Jake, and after much deliberating, discussion, networking with other home schoolers, reading and research we finally took the plunge (forsaking lots of "expert" advice from friends on how the kids were going to suffer as a result of our decision, how would they socialise, blah blah blah) and started in April 2012

"Why??" you ask. The short answer is time is passing so quickly...

When we started homeschooling Jess was 10 years old and Jake 7 years old. We fast forwarded the clock ten years and found ourselves with two children, 20 and 17 years old respectively, who had spent 70% of their lives growing up away from us at school and in the care of others.

We didn't like that reality.

The past year has been a blur, full of wonderful memories and lots of time spent together. I think personally, it feels like life has slowed down a bit (I don't know if you feel like I do time seems to be going faster and faster...)

Instead of the usual routine of rushing every morning to make sure we get to school assembly on time this is our day...

We wake at 6.30am normally (unless the weathers great and conditions are good to zip down to Ushaka beach for a surf before school). Bushtea and rusks  in bed in the winter, or out on the deck in the summer, and time to chat and read the bible and pray together. Its a good time to connect and chat about life and other things. At about 7.15am its time to do chores and feed the menagerie of pets we have in our lives, but everyone has their job and it goes quickly (although Jess loves spending time chatting to the 5 chickens and collecting their eggs). Jake does the 5 budgies and the 2 Jack Russels, and Sue and I take turns feeding our 5 Indian ring necks! Its a busy time followed by breakfast, and then our school day starts at 8.30am.

I usually do a Monday and a Wednesday (Maths, Science and History) and Sue does a Tuesday and a Thursday and Friday (English, Afrikaans, Biology and Geography)

It works well, and looking back over the past year we can see the progress in Jess and Jake - its so encouraging!

Last year was a big year for us...

Jess turned 10 and we celebrated her birthday in Saalbach, Austria snowboarding (her dream!)

Public holiday 17h June

What a beautiful day we woke up to! A slight offshore was blowing out across the bay, out across the sparkling blue ocean as the sun rose out of the sea.
After breakfast and feeding the menagerie we decided to do an hour of math outside on the pool deck in the warm sun, and the kids tackled it with gusto, finishing quickly.

Sue and Jess headed off to the Mall and Jake and I went to the beach for an ice-cream.. it was such a great time chatting to each other as we sat on the stairs next to Umhlanga main beach lifesavers, eating our lollies. As we both warmed up we couldn't resist stripping down and going for a swim in the warm, crystal clear ocean
What a great day to be alive!