Karen's Clan

Clambering Cape Point

2013-06-09T19:47:00.002+02:00

Today dawned, bright, clear and wind free - a perfect winter's day. And so we took the clan to Cape Point - something we've been wanting to do since we bought a family Wild Card, but something we just haven't had the opportunity to do for months. And O it was good for my soul! Such beauty, such space, such room for my soul to find peace!

Yes, we succumbed to our children's charms and bought one way tickets on the funicular....something we won't repeat in a hurry. The joy of the ride was priceless! It's been years since we last visited Cape Point.

I loved the boys making connections about the sea birds nesting on these mainland cliffs having spent the last few weeks learning about sea birds ( at least I must be inspiring some learning!!!!)...but this cliff walk gave me the heebie-jeebies (which made King Arthur laugh!). Braveheart had to do the holding whilst looking for nests...I was having none of that!

Lighthouses and I...sigh...so lovely...

We found a bunker...

And were rather out of breath at the end of our round trip...

But decided after our picnic to brave another walk to this beautiful beach...

Such a lovely way to end the weekend, with a soul restored....

Aragorn was determined to feed a copper winged starling!

May it go well with you too this week...

Breaking through the Burnout

2013-05-29T20:14:00.000+02:00

This week has started and I feel, at long last, as though I have found myself again.

attempting to make leaf angels!

I've found a little more balance and have come to a place where I feel much more centered...actually, anchored would be a more fitting word. I find myself constantly pressing into God, where I find the comfort he so readily gives.

I've made some changes - some small, some big; some for a season, some for now, some for forever perhaps!

Trying to tick all of Sonlight's boxes has been a challenge for me for a long time, and although I have steadily unwound and relaxed, this year I have taken it even a little further. Part of my breakdown was just trying to fit everything in, and getting so frazzled when we weren't covering all that we needed too across the board each day. It was exasperating me! The changes that I've made have brought me a greater freedom, although I don't think that I have finished tweaking it at all!

I so identified with Nadene on fitting in the best parts and also found this post so helpful - and so I now structure my days into disciplined studies and inspirational studies:

The boys now know that there is an allocated time for disciplined studies, which I've broken up into maths, writing and spelling/creative expression (and for Jonathan, reading). I also realized that trying to do Explode the Code, Wordly Wise, Language Arts etc was just too much for us each and every day, so now I've chosen one book each for the boys, and that's what we're going to work through from start to finish, and then we'll choose another book. I've also put time limits on our disciplined studies. Aragorn has such a beautiful creative spirit in him, if left to his own devices for even a moment he can draw aliens crawling out of numbers, and turn his letters into monsters etc...you get the picture. So I've limited them to 20-30 minutes for each disciplined study, and if they don't finish within that time, then they need to do it on their own for 'homework'- when it hurts them most - like when dad gets home, or when there's a turn on iPad or something like that. Aragorn has suffered this consequence once and I haven't had to do it again!
When it comes to our Inspirational studies, we no longer try to do Geography, History and Science each day either. King Arthur can handle a program like that with ease, but Aragorn is not wired that way at all. Part of my finding balance is continuing to stretch King Arthur's very capable brain, whilst helping Aragorn along in these early years. Our days were just too crowded with fitting in these subjects, and so I made the change to Unit Studies in April, which I created from my existing Sonlight Core C curriculum for this year. We spent a whole month on Vikings, and now we're doing Science for a month or so (we're using Apologia's Flying Creatures, and are simply doing Birds this month). Then I plan to do the Medieval studies from Core C, and then, well, we'll see, I haven't planned further than that yet!

I feel myself being drawn along a path that leads me to ask - am I really inspiring learning, and that love of learning each day? And than can be a heavy burden to bear if one lets it, but I'm finding it easier as I relax into our journey a wee bit more, and keep asking God to lead, to show me, to point out the way forward.
After all, it's He who knows what their life will hold, and what they really need to be prepared for.

And as for me? I'm learning to find what really feeds my heart, and am learning to spend my time more wisely, and not spread myself so thing. Not always an easy task, but one I'm embracing!

The Only Constant

2013-05-22T07:00:00.000+02:00

I've been quite amazed at the overwhelming response I've had by people in response to my previous post - you know the one, where I laid it all out there. Yip, I'm brave. Perhaps a little bit crazy. But I'm glad I followed my heart and put it out there, because I have been so encouraged, knowing that I am not alone. And knowing that now you know that YOU are not alone. Yip, fellow moms, we're in this together. That is what community looks like.

Somehow in today' s culture we've been lulled into believing everyone else is doing just fine, and that it's just us who are failing and not keeping up and wanting to scream, or cry, or laugh hysterically. Just yesterday I ended up singing opera at my children in sheer frustration - please note I cannot sing. Not even a note. And it was wonderful, because out of that sheer frustration came pure and sweet laughter. I might just sing opera quite a lot more!

There's one thing I keep coming back to time and time again. It's that the only constant in life is change...and so the fact that we are changing things often or seeking to do things differently is okay...in fact, it's actually preparing our kids for this dynamic world. This journey of mine is going to need lot of tweaking...constantly.

Actually, on pondering this before I hit publish, I don't think that's entirely true. Love...and Change. Both constant.

So simple...

2013-05-20T19:42:00.001+02:00

Do you ever find that when you withdraw, and start re-aligning your eyes and focusing on the Light, you can begin to see so clearly again?

As I've begun to withdraw, I've been amazed, quietly thankful at how often God has ushered things into my path that speak directly into this situation that I face...that raw brokenness, and the feeling of being utterly undone.

"my yoke is easy, my burden light"

I know how cliched those words are. How misinterpreted words like that can be...and yet. They penetrate, causing me to question - is this the Truth? If so, what does that Truth look like right here, right now?

I'm reminded over and over about how gently he leads with his never stopping, always and forever love...

So...He speaks. And Braveheart reminds. The goal of this journey is not to teach all there is to know (slaying that feeling of sheer panic and terror when I think of all the information there is), no, the goal is simply to

inspire a love of learning,

and teach them how to learn.

The rest of it? It'll come. There is no way humanely possible to learn all there is, or to teach all that there is in this Age of Information overload. But if we keep that at the forefront of each day, we'll get there. I don't know yet what that actually looks like on the ground, on a day to day basis, but ... we'll get there.

"Success is the sum of small efforts -

repeated day in and day out"

Robert Collier

Back from Burnout

2013-05-16T19:25:00.000+02:00

That's a pretty ominous way to title a post after not having written for over three months don't you think?!

I've just gone through an intense little season, and have been writing this very post in my head over the last week. I wanted to write and to share because, well, there are too few posts out there on the real challenges homeschooling mothers face. There are endless blogs depicting amazing school days and incredible learning opportunities - well, here's one showing you the nitty gritty, the raw nuts and bolts.

About two weeks ago, I began to crack. And then spent an entire weekend in floods of tears, unable really to make any coherent kind of sense to anyone around me. Drained. Exhausted. Overwhelmed. Depleted Filled with a desire to destroy my computer. uh huh. It's all true. That's how I felt. And so I took a week off - yip, I closed down school, told my kids we were on holiday, and I began to withdraw...to think, to ponder, to pray, to question, to ask, to reconsider.... (my ideal would be to do this sans kids...if we're being completely honest - see, the real nitty gritty!).

Where the Burnout Began:

I am a very self sufficient person - I am my own motivator, and am very driven and every now and again I can end up driving myself too hard for too long. I realized that for months I have been relying on my own strength...digging my own cisterns instead of drinking deep of that Life giving water....
I haven't been guarding my time wisely - personal exercise time, which is essential to my sanity and self esteem had been taken over my all kinds of other errands and things. (I'm struggling to get back into the routine of early morning gym trips this winter, in spite of supposed strong self discipline!) In fact, personal any kind of time...what is that? Such a strange concept the more I thought about it!
I have been trying to compensate for the comparisons I was making. The best part of junior school for both my husband and I was the interaction we had with our friends, and break time. As my children are not in that system (two of the three), I have found myself compensating by creating playdates, at my house, almost every day of the week. The result? Exhaustion!
At the end of last year, I realized with horror that I'd dropped a few balls with my children - namely spelling, and handwriting. Desiring to make that up this year meant that I was focusing on the "skills' - the dsicplined studies exclusively instead of balancing it with the inspirational stuff - not only was I bored, but it was such drudgery! The pendulum had now swung, but in the opposite direction!

Battling the Burnout:
So...I began to do battle. Thankfully I have a supportive husband who patiently stood by waiting for my emotional outbursts to subside, and my kids were very gracious even though their world did seem a bit strained with mom going through all this. This is where I'm taking action:

I have to find shelter in my God, I have to seek him as a refuge, and I have to keep drawing back to him more regularly, more purposefully than I have been
I can't do any of this without managing my time even more carefully. I need to whittle away the things that ransom my time in the Age of Distraction - for me it's FB, endless emails, and rabbit trails I follow whilst researching. And so once again, I've eliminated the few feeds I've been subscribed too (and this after my previous decluttering!). I've started checking FB fewer times in the week - and I'm aiming to get to every two or three days! I have to be strict with time for myself - exercise cannot be negotiated, even if it means the exclusion of my children's playdates. If I can drop them off whilst I gym, great, but if they want to have playdates here during that time, it cannot happen. And this needs to be balanced too. Some mornings, I'm going to have to get up early. That's it. Bottom line.
Comparison, the thief of all joy! I have chosen a different path, a different system, and it is going to look completely different to what my school life looked like. Their social lives are important, my children's happiness is important...but it's all about balance.
I need to be strict with time for school - there's a start time, a time for disciplined studies, and a time for inspirational studies. And if my kids cannot reach reasonable goals in certain time slots, then they need to finish it for 'homework' on their own time. I want to spend time on the "fun" stuff! I've also whittled down our school - I hated all the boxes we were trying to tick, and so write now, we're focusing on Handwriting and Spelling and Reading in our disciplined studies. For inspirational studies, I've taken themes out of Sonlight's Core C, and we're treating them like Unit studies. More on that another day. Chete. (That's Shona for that's all, that's enough!).

And so here's where I'm at: making changes, carving out different ways of doing things, saying no in order to say yes! But, there are some things I still need answers for:

I need to make time to be "re-created". I'm not getting all funny on you, but recreation means that - to be re-created, to be made whole, new. So what is it that leaves me feeling fuller, and more me and more inspired? That's what I need to discover.

I'm hesitant to write this as there can be so many ways this is interpreted - and so many women do seem to be able to do this - but you know me, I'm intense, all or nothing...I've found myself mournful in a way. I can see the big picture, truly I can, and I know I'm building cathedrals and all that. But If I'm honest, I'm going to admit that I'd love a week, a month, hang even a day just all to myself. I'd love to learn how to do things now. I catch myself thinking, oh, that would be lovely to do, it'll have to wait till the kids leave home. I don't want to put my life on hold for the next 15 years, and then start doing all the things I want to do. And to be perfectly honest, I'm not even sure what all those things are...I just know I want some *permission* perhaps to live a little more. I do love my kids, truly I do. But right now, this is how I am feeling!

And so, there you have it - a real inside story for y'all.

When it Rains...

2013-02-09T20:05:00.003+02:00

You know that saying? "It never rains, it pours"? Well folks that's how I feel this weekend! I cannot belive the pace of the last two weeks - a friend referred to life during the term as 'warp speed' once, and I so feel like I'm living in that!

After our interesting start last week and our shocking first day of school, I had so hoped that this week would begin, and remain, better. And we did start better, and then things got a little complicated when on Tuesday an enormous fire threatened to devour the houses along the perimeter of the Estate we live in.

I was at the beach at the time (with two young Zimbabwean girls thrilled to be at the sea!), really enjoying a wind free beach at St James. I had deliberately left my phone in the car, in a rebellious state of just not wanting to be able to be reached all the time at every moment. So imagine my surprise when upon my return to the car I find 11 missed calls! From people I know well who do not panic!!!

I quickly realized how serious the situation was, and managed to raise my parents-in-law to try and get to the house to help. I am so thankful for my neighbors and friends within the Estate who lent a helping hand, as well as our twice a month gardener -without them, my house would not be standing today! So very thankful...but the ash? Well that's another story...it covered the garden like black snow...

Cleaning up a house covered in ash is no small task...especially when one is trying to use one's mornings to homeschool! So again, another huge learning curve: what is homeschool really about? I know in my head that the fire was a real life learning experience, but the Perfectionist in me, the Box Ticker, cannot abide how many things we are 'not' getting done! So...a deep breath, and a letting go that this week is yet another one that has not gone according to 'plan'!

For those of you interested, here's a video my father in law took to illustrate my point!

Overall, now at the end of week two, I can say it's gone better than than week one, although I have had to realize again just how different my children are. I am so thankful I have the privilege of homeschooling them and tailor making their education, although it is challenging and daunting at the same time. After having a tearful meltdown in Brent's arms the one night, I've had to tweak and adjust things, as Aragorn's learning styles are completely different to King Arthur's: it's the subtle challenge of carrying on stretching King Arthur, while at the same time supporting and encouraging Aragorn at the start of his journey. Bended knees people, and a good dose of tears!

Cape Explorers kicked off again this week, and when the outings are ones that I am personally responsible for it seems to knock me for a 6 (I guess especially after the week!). The outing went swimmingly, and I love those kids to bits...but, imagine my surprise then, thinking I was coming home to put my feet up and relax for a bit when I discovered our landlady had employed some folk to strip and replace a roof that has been leaking for years! In the pulling up of the old roof sheeting, ash had re-covered everything! Sob! And they weren't able to finish yesterday...and left a large hole...and so when it poured with rain today...well, need I say more? Sob sob!

So surely, surely, next week cannot top this?

Clear Eyes. Full Hearts. Can't Lose!!

the First day...

2013-01-28T20:49:00.000+02:00

Today, Belle began her first day in the Tiger's Class....

...complete with a hand me down Tiger back pack which she was thrilled with! Belle's report on her first day? "Mom, I had an awesome day!"
(Oooh, she also had her first ballet lesson which she just loved!)

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, ...

(I actually took this :))

I will never forget King Arthur's face when he returned from his morning ride, came around the door and saw this sign - his face lit up and he beamed...from ear to ear. I'm so pleased I followed through with the inkling I had, because it seemed almost a silly thing to do...but it's those small things, the things we can so easily brush aside that speak loudest to our kids, and even those around us. Somehow, this little sign and taking the photo affirmed them and boosted their whole day (they were so eager to show Dad when he came home too). Aragorn? That boy has been excited for weeks, and his enthusiasm was at an all time high the whole day!

Our day went well. Strike that. The first hour and a half of our day went swimmingly. Braveheart has kindly agreed to take Belle to school on the way to work, which has transformed my mornings. Now without me leaving the house in the mornings we gain so much time. Morning chores were done by 0730, and school started at 8. We got so much done....

Then I decided we would take a break and go off and get our puncture fixed. Well, the day went downhill from there. Let's just say, a Toyota Verso's wheels confound my local fitment centre; it took longer than expected; Braveheart still had my debit card; my new credit card didn't work and then after yet ANOTHER walk to the mall, it failed to work altogether. My day was HIJACKED. By admin. Grr. I had a good cry and a blow out, and said goodbye to the two and half hours of stress, spent the rest of the afternoon doing co-curricular lifting, and then finally got home to make our traditional "Back to School" cake (ahem, this was disastrous, just to top off the day)!

The kids love sticking their toys on a Back to School cake!

Anyhow. So here I am. Holiday? What holiday?! I know that today will pass, that tomorrow is another day, but seriously, what a way to start the term!

The only thing that keeps reverberating in my mind is (for all your Friday Night Lights fans)

Clear Eyes. Full Hearts. Can't Lose!

And I may just have to print that out very big and stick it in front of my desk!

Hope your start of school has gone well!

Back!

2013-01-27T21:38:00.000+02:00

Renewed.

Refreshed.

Invigorated.

That's how I feel, (at long last) after a full two month holiday. I no longer feel exhausted and near the end of myself.

2013, bring it on!

Humble Housework

2012-11-10T20:55:00.001+02:00

It's a new season this one....

a busy one, where both Braveheart and I are stretched to the brim...

or perhaps even flowing over a bit?

It's interesting to me, that when you think you can't handle anything else on your plate, God can stretch you even a little bit more...but never to breaking point.

And there's always HOPE.

My season right now is one of humble housework...the basics of family life. Our wonderful helper and part of our family returned to Zimbabwe a while ago, and we have felt it's a season for us to be without help in the house...and so it's a season of juggling more, and fitting in chores into already packed days. As a family, we're learning all about responsibility, and servanthood... something I seem to not know enough about.

I'm loving our journey through this time: its highs and its lows - watching my kids learn to take on chores that are age appropriate, blessing one another when they do each other's chores, watching them learn about sharing the load of a family's work. Braveheart has been a star too, stepping in when he can, as this is his leading for our family in this season. I thought I was a highly disciplined person, but when it comes to housework at the end of one of those days, I realize how weak my will is!

I'm learning about grace...about rhythms ..some days lend themselves to a neat orderly house, and on other days I have to take a few steps back and ask myself what is really most important - relationships or a clean house, and then close a door, or leave a room...a challenge for me.

And so as I juggle my time, this blog is last on the list. I'm hoping I find a rhythm here, truly I do.

Until then...

Bountiful Birthdays

2012-10-30T20:08:00.000+02:00

October is packed full -

and my birthday falls last.

Each year I feel to celebrate it differently..

sometimes in a big way...

sometimes small and intimate...

This year I spent the morning

with my delightful Cape Explorers...

Then searched Cape Town for some delicious

cheesecake and ended up here...

(oh yes, cheese and chocolate are my weaknesses...

and cheesecake - oh, it's a slice of heaven!)

and yes, this is what we wearing

at the end of October!

Summer will hit us

at the beginning of December...

Precious family time...

delicious cheesecake...

then dinner with dear friends...

and then a tea on Sunday

with Braveheart's family...

complete with THE cake

friends around me have been making...

I was inspired...

and delighted everyone with it!

Happy birthday me!

Hero Party 2: King Arthur's!

2012-10-14T21:05:00.000+02:00

(There seem to have been very few Hero Factory parties out there - so forgive me if there is TMI in this post, but my hope is it will help other moms who may be needing to create a HF party for their sons :) Be sure to check out Aragorn's Hero Factory Party too!)

Saturday dawned, and I was relieved to see the sun... then it disappeared for a bit and I'll be honest, I fretted, but by the time the afternoon rolled around, it was a stellar day! This is the first year Braveheart and I have had our kids' birthdays in the afternoon, and it's so much more relaxed! No more creating cakes near midnight on a Friday night!

On Saturday morning we decorated....(low key this day, too much wind!)

The happy birthday boy who had been anticipating this day for weeks...

I can't believe my firstborn is 8...

Once everyone had blown off some steam, we explained how this Hero Factory Party would work: it was a Rookie Training Camp (seeing as I knew most of the boys had watched Hero Factory Rise of the Rookies). First they would need to complete their training and then they would be "tested" in a battle at the end of the day. I told them I would be the Alpha Leader, Stormer XL, and take them through their paces. Now you do understand, that I actually don't know very much about Hero Factory - and as I kept telling them what they were supposed to be doing, I kept being corrected by some passionate HF fans! So you may need to check out the correct terminology with your sons before you re-create any of this :)

got to love his glee!

The first task was to charge their cores - which they had to do by creating a fruit kebab of many different fruits (so that no two colors touched each other, and having at least one piece of each fruit on the kebab). I had marked two lines on the kebabs so they knew how full to make it. Some kids made three kebabs!

The next part of their training was to see if they could form "power cells" (the force field that keeps the Heroes safe from the Villains) by playing "mingle mingle". "Mingle Mingle" is a wonderful game whereby the kids just run around and you yell out a number - say 2. Then they have to form groups of 2, or shout out 5, and they form groups of 5 etc. Whoever is not in a group is out, and can either choose the next number and go back in, or you can whittle away the group until there is a winner. I shouted out 1 just for fun a couple of times, and 19 - the total number of kids we had on Saturday!

Then we had some target practice, whereby we split them into groups and they had to try and hit down all the cans within a short space of time - running and throwing, what more do boys need?

The final part of their training was to see if they could create backup should they need it in the field. Again, I split them into three groups, Red (Ferno), Green (Breeze) and Blue (Stringer). I gave each child in each group a number from 1-6. They then had to go and find a previously hidden packet with a corresponding red, green or blue number on it. These packets had a Hero broken up into 6 groups of pieces - namely two legs, two arms, weapon and head/helmet. So number one from Red team had to go and find a packet with a red number one on it - make sense? And the next person could only go and find the next part once the other team member had returned.

Sadly some of the packets were hidden only too well
and there was a little bit of frustration!
Then it was time for the Rookies to be rewarded for their hard work - with my first ever ice cream cake!

I love their faces when their cakes are brought out - we try to
make them a surprise :)

Boys will be boys!

Then the battle commenced! The Rookies graduated and now had to face Von Nebular (Braveheart) in war!

Again, we divided them into three groups (just so kids turns could come around sooner, otherwise waiting for 18 other kids takes too long!). The front three kids could run and hit Braveheart with water balloons, or try to, for 15 seconds. The others were encouraged to try and hold them down. When time was up, he would yell a number, and they would have to form "mingle mingle" groups, and whoever was left out got sprayed with a water gun! The boys were delighted!

And finally present time...

King Arthur was so blessed by every one's generosity...

And the take home bags were Hero Defence Packs (with smoke bombs, water balloons and poppers)

Belle sums up the day for me entirely...

A great party and well worth the effort to hear King Arthur say it was the best party ever!

Pottering towards Peers Cave

2012-10-09T21:00:00.000+02:00

Over the last few weekends we've managed to squeeze in a couple of family outings in spite of the *crazy* season we are in (trips to Zimbabwe, boys back to back birthdays, planning Cape Explorers, moving into a new season without a maid, trips to the UK - whew!).

One of my upcoming cape Explorer outings is to a cave we have often walked to, but not recently enough for me to be sure my littlest Explorers would cope. So off we set to explore Peers Cave on Skildergat Ridge.

To get there is simple. Park your car just off Ou Kaapse Weg (the little car park is on your left hand side after the Silvermine Road to Noordhoek). We have never experienced any problems there, but folk have mentioned to me their cars were broken into there so just be aware.

It is a lovely flat sandy path...

with stunning flowers showing us the way...

Aragorn thought this rock looked like a rhino....

beautiful examples of plant succession.....

...and examples of mechanical weathering...

...fun for the little ones to examine the creepy crawlies (and be awed by the color of their blood after accidentally squashing them - eugh!)

We made it to the cave we always get to...

but then it dawned on me that I had seen descriptions of other caves along this very ridge. So this time, we explored further and deeper and found Tunnel Cave. I was thrilled! I often see this cave as I drive in the valley and was overjoyed to have made it!

Dad and the kids had fun seeing how far they could throw stones (whilst mom stayed clear of the drop off!)

After returning home to write the Living Letter for CE, it struck me that I still hadn't yet reached the right cave. The descriptions I had read did not match the caves we had been in. So two weekends later, off we set again, this time from the Fishoek Valley side. Park behind the sports facilities at the Silvergaldes Sports Fields (our car felt even more exposed and vulnerable here on the Sunday afternoon we went than on busy Ou Kaapse Weg).

Now, this walk is much prettier than the other way, and we were amazed by how stunning it was...however, it is MUCH more taxing. My kids are seasoned explorers, and they struggled up the steep hillside, as did Braveheart and myself who clearly are not as fit as we were at the beginning of winter!

The dunes were our children's highlight, and we spend a good chunk of time playing on them after our descent. I think we'll be spending more time there this summer...

And finally we found the cave I'd read about...

Peers Cave

Are you wondering what on earth King Arthur is doing?

Ha and his brother got completely drenched trying to catch run-off drops from the roof of the cave into their mouths!

What fun! This is a lovely walk (from the Ou Kaapse Weg side) for a family outing, and you can reach Peers Cave - just press on after Tunnel Cave! I'd recommend a good two hours there and back (allowing for a picnic and much exploration!).

I don't recommend the other route with young children (under 7's).

Enjoy exploring!

Aragorn's Hero Factory Party

2012-10-07T21:20:00.000+02:00

My little boy is turning 6 this week...6! that feels awfully big to me! His heart's desire for this party has changed numerous times over the last month, but thankfully we locked off what he wanted before I left for Zimbabwe, and I returned with a few days to whip up something: a "Hero Factory" party was the request, and Brent and I had to watch the DVD just to bring ourselves up to speed and put our thinking caps on!

Braveheart was amazing stepping in and lending a hand wherever he could, and the day dawned rain free...

We set about making the party decorations - here's my attempt at a quick tutorial for crepe paper streamers. I used to make these as a kid for Christmas, and after making them for Belle's party I was addicted! Aragorn and I chose traditional Lego colours, with green thrown in for the Heroes and Villains!

And this is what they look like when hung up...(just do note, the wind does untangle them very speedily, so only put them up outside just before your party starts!)...

The boys made some Lego containers for sweets...

and then we were ready for the Rookies!

Braveheart helped me mark the Heroes' base...

My boys have succumbed to the craze of collecting cards - mostly Star Wars ones, so this year, we chose to print Hero and Villain cards and create games for the kids to collect these cards...we knew our boys would have hours of fun trying to trade and swap these cards with their friends.

They each had to find a hero card to begin the game, then catch Braveheart to receive a villain card...and so on and so on! Each game was a little different, and the "Rookies" loved collecting their cards!

In this game we had a relay where two teams had to rebuild their Heroes before Braveheart's time was up - I was so impressed with how the teams pulled together and got the job done!

And the successful Rookies were then told that they had managed to save Planet "6" and that a special Hero was coming to say thank you....and I just love Aragorn's delight as he saw his Planet 6 cake!

Thanks to windy Cape Town, we moved the cake in doors for candle time...

and the happy birthday boy licked off the Nutella icing from his new Hero's feet!

Happy Birthday Sweet Special Boy!

be sure to check out King Arthur's Hero Factory Party here

Zimbabwe: Land of the Beautiful And Brave

2012-10-06T21:15:00.002+02:00

The Zimbabwean International Airport
built to resemble Great Zimbabwe

I've returned from Zimbabwe this week after visiting my mom for her 60th birthday and it's left me changed.

Irrevocably I hope.

Zimbabwe is a special land, a land whose beauty leaves you breathless....
.... as does the brutality she has experienced.

Zimbabwe leaves you speechless as you wonder how she is still holding on,
... and yet the promise of hope (surely this is hope?) on her horizon make you want to shout out loud!

It's a RICH land. The red soil confronted me even as I drove out of the airport, and brought tears to my eyes. This fertile, ripe land has caused so much division in our country. It is these grains of sand with such a wonderful combination of minerals that have caused death, greed, brutality, hope, prosperity, corruption - all the good, the bad and the ugly. Even though it is the end of the dry season and the soil is gasping for the summer rains, its potential can be seen by the oasis-like verges fed by boreholes as I drove to my childhood home.

A walk on the farm Brent and I
used to live on

The jacaranda trees throw down their blossoms, (just for me?!) and I love hearing the flowers popping beneath the tires. I love the striking blue of the early Zimbabwean October sky, and love the hazy days where the sky is almost white as fires burn on the outskirts of the city. I loved the constancy of the temperature and that summer has opened the door and is about to move in for 6 months (six whole months...sigh....!). For five nights, I slept without socks... that should tell you something!

My childhood home
(this is one of three parts of the garden!)
So much space!

It's pretty easy to quickly take stock of who has means and who is less well off within the city now, who is coping with how Zimbabwe has been crippled over the last few years. Those with luscious verges have a borehole and means to a water supply. The reality of the homes behind the dusty brown verges is that they have little or no water. There is no municipal water at all in Harare - it might trickle in once a week, if you're lucky. Most people (who can) have resorted to sinking boreholes, digging wells and connecting their house water mains to this supply. Can you imagine? No water comes from the dams around the city as equipment has eroded, or broken down or there is still no money to buy the necessary chemicals to clean the water. What is happening under Harare is cause for concern. How large is the aquifer on which Harare is built? How long can it last? A city cannot survive without water ... even a Zimbabwean one!

I love these yellow flowers that fall with the purple
of the jacarandas...

Although initially being struck by her beauty, I too was struck by the strange parameters Zimbabwean society is living within. Things we consider basic necessities and building blocks of our society are absent and missing in Zimbabwe. I've mentioned the water. Then there's the power - my family and friends still there are delighted ( I kid you not) that they now know when their daily power cuts are. It's preposterous for any Zimbabwean to expect power all the time, but now they can plan their lives: they know which days require them to make dinner in the morning, and when to do a load of washing in the evening. Can you imagine living like that? Those verges I mentioned earlier are commonly littered with rubbish, for there is no regular refuse collection - if you have the means, you can take your own rubbish to the dump, but if you can't or don't care, rubbish is just dumped in the nearest open space. I find it terribly sad what my people, my country has been reduced to.

walking up Domboshawa

I could not shake the feeling that Zimbabwe is dancing with anarchy. Sometimes, it seems she refuses a dance, and the law is upheld. But too often, I heard stories of corrupted law enforcement or a complete lack of it, and it left me wondering how people like my law abiding friends survive. How does one live in a society where one's own moral code is so strong but there is no greater good? No common desire for what is true and noble and just? In many ways the police have blatantly lost control (which was true with the history of the land invasions), and so road usage is mind blowing - it truly vies with India! My brother is one of many who now just skirts around road blocks rather than being stopped and fined for nothing of any consequence Why did this surprise me so? I guess it's because I have become so used to the civility within which I now live.

At the top of Domboshawa
with my brother and friends of
my parents

The roads are in shocking condition - they are mostly full of potholes, and the edges are wearing away. I'd say a good 75% of the roads have no road markings - they've faded and once again, there's no money to repaint them. Robots seldom work, or have had fittings stolen from them (whilst still living there, all the metal signs indicating road names were stolen to melt down to make coffin handles - Zimbabweans sure are industrious!).

The view to the east of Domboshawa

It was really hard getting my head around the economy working in US$, and seeing the abject poverty in spite of it. Zimbabweans can look back and laugh (can anyone really?) at the fact that in the beginning of 2008 the limit on withdrawals from the bank was 1.2 million Zimbabwean dollars, and you needed that to buy bread and milk. But it's not really a laughing matter. My parents lost their hundreds of trillions (not a lot really after the inflation of the previous years) in their bank account when overnight the money changed to a US$ system. 2008/9 were the hardest years by far. There was NOTHING in the shops. Bare, empty shelves And when a consignment came in, say of Mazoe orange juice, shelf packers would line ALL the shelves up with orange juice. Nowadays, had our money remained in Zimbabwean dollars, it is speculated that the denomination we would be working in as a result of our inflation would be octrillions. I kid you not. (Now I can't even comprehend a number that big - 1 million is 10 to the 6th power, 1 trillion is 10 to the 12th power, 1 septrillion is 10 to the 24th power...an octillion in 10 to the 27th power....1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000!!!)

This is a Fruit and Veg City (Sam Levy's Village),
complete with sprinklers outside
to keep everything cool in the (glorious) heat!
I chuckled!

I'm also saddened for another reason. The shelves in Zimbabwe are packed - all with familiar South African products. And whilst this is wonderful and it means that food is available, it is often 2 or 3 times more expensive than it is here in South Africa. A packet of Lays chips imported from SA is now cheaper than a packet of local Zimbabwean chips. It doesn't take an economist to tell you what that means. The last remaining local Zimbabwean industries that have survived the onslaught of such horrific government policies are closing down, and adding to the already chilling unemployment statistic of 95%. Is this why the South African government took on a "quiet diplomacy" stand when all the chaos took place? They stand to gain by exporting and monopolizing the Zimbabwean market?

Aah yes, the menu at the airport is
handwritten as everything
changes in availability...
DAILY!

Another aspect of this US$ economy is that there are no US coins in circulation in Zim. Prices are however, given with cents. So if you buy something and need say 60c change, you can either buy eggs, a banana or two, chewing gum, or chocolates to that amount OR you are given a "credit note" which allows you to redeem the money the shop owes you on your next visit. It's amusing....

Schweeps orange!!!!

I happened to visit the school where I taught in Zim, which was wonderful on so many levels. Wonderful to see old staff, to see how much the school has grown and changed and the hope springing up. But again, so sobering as the cost of this private education is now ridiculous. Homeschooling is becoming a serious alternative for so many purely for financial reasons. I was also privileged to catch just a glimpse of how education is being used to offer people a hope and a future with Makomborero, and to meet the student that we are helping to sponsor. He is a proud ambassador for Makomborero.

Ryan, and incredibly bright student with an even
brighter future thanks to Makomborero!

And the people.
Sigh.
The people....
Zimbabweans are beautiful and brave, and I think the real reason I so want to write about this trip is to honor those who have stayed. Who have endured. Who have persevered, and weathered the political storm day in and day out.

These black and white people make Zimbabwe great.

Together they have stood, facing the corruption and the anarchy with a desire to see Zimbabwe rise from the ashes: they believe in her potential. When I look back over the 8 years I have been gone, and I track what they have had to endure, it sobers me. It makes me realize how wealthy I am with all that I take for granted - power, running water and available affordable food for me to buy.

Zimbabwe, I am so grateful to you, for giving me a perspective shift....in so many ways.

Till the next time...

Evaluating the Expo

2012-09-21T20:27:00.000+02:00

I recently attended my first Homeschool Educators Expo here in Cape Town, (a convention for those of you from the north!). The Cape Home Educators did themselves proud with a well organised event, and I was really blown away by what I walked away with....no curricula, but a heart full of knowledge and wisdom.

I walked into the building a little after 8, and left again after 5 - for me not to see the sun for a whole day is saying enough don't you think? It made me think, "Gosh, I really must be a 'nerd' to enjoy doing this!" and truly I was invigorated, energized! I realized so clearly, that I love to learn : feed me knowledge, tell me how to do something, teach me - and I am in my element! I soaked it all up - and if any of you reading this are interested in finding out more about homeschooling, attending the lectures at an expo is a good place to start!

I was also so touched to meet other homeschooling moms - some whom I only know from their profile picture on FB (and if you're a HS mom/dad in the Western Cape you really should be a member - it's a growing community of like minded folk who are passionate about educating our children), and to be met by folk who read this here blog. It's a little nerve wracking that part - meeting people who know me in so much more detail than I know them! To those of you, who shared how much some of my posts have spoken to you, thank you (again!) for having the courage to do that - it inspires me to keep writing my heart.

I wanted to share a few nuggets I walked away with, as they were light bulb moments for me, and perhaps they will be food for thought for you. As I've said, I think I attended all but three of the lectures, so it was pretty intense! (Please note, not much of what follows are my own original ideas - the ideas communicated here belong to the speakers at the Expo)

Somehow homeschooling parents have a great need of security, and so all too often we can focus on the "how" of homeschooling (how am I going to teach Math, what is the best curriculum for language arts, how am i going to teach three children of different ages etc), and not the "why" (for what purpose am I homeschooling?).
Too often we can mistakenly focus on the books and not the child, when it comes to choosing a curriculum - I did have a good laugh at myself during one of Martie Du Plessis' lectures, when she outlined learning styles (I am so 'sequential'!). It makes sense to me now how often we can choose a curriculum for ourselves, to make us feel safe and secure rather than one that would suit our child because its learning style is so unfamiliar to us.
The current state of education in South Africa sobered me. It is vastly different to the education system I grew up with in Zimbabwe (before our political turmoil) and I was interested to learn this

Newsweek‘s (16 August 2010) list of the world’s best countries put South Africa at 82nd overall, and ranks our education system 97th out of 100, which is 4th from the bottom. South Africa’s education performance is even ranked below countries like Mozambique, Bangladesh and Iran, states less wealthy or less free. (source)

Fourth from the bottom in 2010? Seriously? And this is where it ranked last year:

According to the 2011 annual national assessment figures, the World Economic Forum ranked South Africa 140th out of 144 which is lower than Lesotho and Swaziland. (source)

I'm growing increasingly fascinated by the nature of the Information/Digital Age we are presently in. Let me add here some statistics Inesa Van Rooyen of Neruolink gave in her presentation, (another worthwhile lecture):

information is doubling every 2 years at present, and by 2017 it's estimated it will double every two weeks;
our children have to learn 5 times more the volume of information we did 20 years ago when we were in school;
and finally, one edition of the NY times contains more information than people in the C17 were exposed to in a lifetime.

As a result, we have to help our children to work faster and smarter - working harder (which most schools seem to push) is not going to equip them to cope with this. We have to teach them to out-think, out-learn, out create. I loved the idea that we can work with our brains to increase their fitness - something I'd like to spend more time looking into.

A few books on this topic were recommended by various speakers: Teaching a Digital Generation - please o please download this PDF and spend some time reading it. It is such weighty food for thought about the reality our children are facing. This book 21st Century Skills also has an excerpt you can download.

I loved being reminded by Martie to focus on enjoying learning in these young grades (1-7), and to be more focused from Gr 8 onwards (remember that Karen!).
I was intrigued by Martie's mention of this quote:

We are currently preparing students for jobs that don’t yet

exist . . . using technologies that haven’t yet been invented . . .
in order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet.
—Richard Riley, Secretary of Education under Clinton

To educate for the C21st and beyond, she recommends we take our traditional 3 R's and times them by the 7 C's : critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, cross cultural, communication, computing, and careers (learning self-reliance and self direction).

I was also interested in the number of times this cartoon was brought up:

It was Albert Einstein who said, "If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." Seeing it so often last Saturday did make me think about standardised testing in a whole new light, and to critically examine what a Matric or similar qualification is worth...but lest we get too far ahead of ourselves, read this brilliant article for a balanced view of this cartoon.

So there you go, Friday's food for thought!

The Challenge of Church

2012-08-27T07:00:00.000+02:00

This morning it felt like I was awake before the rest of the world. And as God and I were together, he reminded me that I wanted to write this post. Reminded me I had a story to tell. A journey to share. And all day he's been reminding me to write.

But now I sit here, mulling over how to write this post. It's not really that easy, when it comes to putting it all down. Partly because it's a long journey with many highs and many valleys. Partly because I know some of you folks reading this blog. I don't wish to offend you, and yet the reality is, some of what I write may very well offend you. So let me tie in with the Olympics and say, this is my lane. My race. It in no way means that there is a fault in your journey. Or that my journey should look like yours. Simply, we're each in our own lanes.

But it is my story.
My journey.

Let's start there. The beginning of my story, my journey. For unless you know where I'm coming from, you may not fully understand why I am where I am.

I have been in many, many different churches since I became a Christian 18 years ago. As a zealous teenager (whose parents attended an Anglican church for Christmas and Easter), I attended youth groups run by a variety of churches, went on camps run by the S.U. and individual churches, and thrived under the patient teaching of the pastors and folks whose passion it was to love and teach young people.

Church was the norm. Braveheart and I even met after an evening church service when we were both in our teens, and when he left to study at the Natal Technikon, he became involved with a dynamic church there that God used to open his eyes (and then mine) to the possibilities in Christ. When I started studying at Rhodes University two years later, I remember trying out all the churches that were the most popular, looking for one like the one Braveheart had found, and praying that God would show me the one I should call home for the next four years.

After 7 months of searching and not quite feeling at home, I was close to giving up. One Sunday, I told God I would walk around Grahamstown until I found a church he wanted me at. I walked. A long way. And EVENTUALLY, right on the other side of Grahamstown (bear in mind I had no car!), I came across this tiny wee Full Gospel Church. And as I passed the doors I knew this was where God wanted me - which was surprising as it was a lot more traditional than churches I had been used to being a part of AND at that time, not one other Rhodes University student was part of the congregation!

Well, I stayed, and it was the richest few years of my life. It was an elderly congregation, with a few young families, and they quickly became like a family to me, exactly what I needed being so far from home. God clearly showed me in the first few months what he wanted of me there, and I'm sad to say, I acted like Moses and refused to do it alone. So he gave me an Aaron, and I learnt a hard lesson about saying no to God because of my own fear. Together we led the Young Adults and Youth, and it was so richly rewarding.

Braveheart finished studying before me and travelled with a church group to Malawi, as well as travelling overseas, and then when I returned to Zim, we wed and started attending a new church run by a familiar pastoral couple. Braveheart had been a part of it for a while before I returned home, and led the praise and worship team. It was then that I started asking God a lot of questions, as did many of the folk around us. And if I were to pinpoint a time, I would say it was then, that I was growing steadily disillusioned with church... dissatisfied...discontent. Why was every service the same? Why did so few people have anything to really share? How come people didn't shout out the good things God was doing? Why was every sermon seemingly based on how to be a perfect Christian? If I was an atheist who walked into this service, would my heart be blown away by the truth and tangible presence of God?

God then began a period in our lives where he stripped down every conceivable idol there was, whether we realized it or not. Family members whom we had placed on an unhealthy pedestal were humbled and God shined his light so clearly in how unhealthily we had worshiped mere people instead of him. Whilst in South Korea, God used our experiences there (the worst yet most life changing year for both Braveheart and I) to tear down an idol we had made of another couple close to us who walked with God in an amazing way. And furthermore, we were forced out of church by the very nature of there being no English speaking churches near us. And this was before we even owned a computer or had ready access to the Internet - how different it would be now if we were to go back! (I'm remembering even now how much I searched for an English speaking church to be in whilst we were there - believe me, I tried! Paul Yong YCho? I even went to his church!)

The third time God did it (removed idols from our life), was after we moved to Cape Town. We had chosen to live in a certain area to be close to a church. It was during our time there, that God stripped down the last idol we had between us and Him... worshiping a church instead of Him, relying on folk to feed us instead of Him, looking to elders to guide us instead of Him. For a long time, in spite of our experiences in church, we had placed this one group of churches above all others. We believed with all out hearts that they were doing exactly what God had called churches to do, and to some extent that they were "perfect".

Without needing to go into too much detail, our relationship with them was wrenched apart after we chose to be vulnerable and admit openly and honestly how imperfect we really were, and that we were in need of help. The message we were left with was to "shape up or ship out" - my own words. That was the final blow in my walk with churches. It was devastating to Braveheart and I, and sent us both reeling. Although to some degree I can understand an eldership's need to "protect" their flock, I cannot understand the judgement and lack of grace that was displayed to us.

And so life continued. We'd spent two years trying to make friends in this church and we were asked to sever contact with the folk in the church. We ended up going back to Korea, and I knew we needed time to heal. When we returned, we moved to another suburb, where many other Zimbabwean families had already moved and we tried a number of churches...but still the questions kept cropping up, and my disillusionment grew.

I believe in Church. I do. I see it throughout Scripture. I see how God wanted his people bound together at the heart level. Church in Scripture is beautiful.

But what I see in today's reality makes me want to weep.

I will not believe that what I see today on Sundays is the way God wants his church to be. I can not let my spirit settle for that. I long for something more.

This is what God is doing in out lives. He is calling Braveheart and I, challenging us, to find the other. He's done that with the way in which He wants us to school our kids. He does that in the way Braveheart manages our finances. And He's done it to the way we fellowship and the way we see church. It's only today that I see God started us on this quest for something different, some road less travelled so long ago, even before we started the schooling journey.

Why does Church sadden me? Because it's become a well oiled machine, institutions and organisations with managers, not organic bodies following the Spirit. I'm saddened by how prescriptive churches have become, and how little of the GRACE of God and who He is and His personality and character is preached. I firmly, and I mean so firmly that I hold to it unwaveringly, believe, that if those that preach would dare to preach only God's love and the radical message of grace, all else would come without any effort. ( Let me give you an example: I am pained to hear folk preaching on praise and worship and how one should raise one's hands, spin around, lay prostrate...in order to worship God properly...surely if God was preached and we knew him for who he is, this would be our natural response and not something we would need to be instructed in? Food for thought?) I've often entered a church and thought - would a prostitute be welcome here? If I arrived dirty and in rags, would I be welcome here? Are you telling the truth when you say all are welcome? See, I believe unconditional love always wins...

But, in the same way that school has become what it is because of the sheer numbers of children needing an education, there's a part of me that wonders how much of church looks the way it does because of the control that man feels he needs over large groups of people. And in the same way I think there are incredible talented teachers with hearts FOR children, I think there are pastors and elders who get God's idea and purpose of a body meeting together. To those of you who preach His love and shout out His grace...I honor and admire you for being his messengers.

And the funny thing is this: as we walk this road, we come along so many, many folk who are walking outside of formal Christian institutions. So many folk who are doing this "other" road. And it's been like that in our journey of homeschooling too. I'm not sure where God is taking us...but I know it's an "other" path. It gets really lonely - I miss the close knit community I imagine church can be...

My road.
My thoughts.
God's work.

I'm about to hit the publish button, but have to share, that this draft has been around for over a week. And yesterday? Yesterday I went to church for the first time in over 5 years. I cannot help wondering what God is up to. He gave me such beautiful gifts in the fun my children had, and the way he spoke to their hearts...but the service I was in? Questions dear friends, questions...

Getting it Done

2012-08-26T19:42:00.001+02:00

I've found the timing of this carnival quite funny, as in the last few weeks this is the area of my life that is facing the biggest challenge! Thankfully, this month's carnival host did me the kind courtesy of sending out a reminder two weeks before it was due, and as I sat down to write this, I thought, "Hey! That's an important tool to 'getting it all done', reminders!" Having a reminder, be it on my cell phone, in my diary, or on a hastily scribbled note pad really help me to get it all done.

So, having been reminded for a while, I've been able to think about getting it all done. How do I do that? What is helpful? Here are a few of my 'tools'.

Let's start with school. I think another important tool for me is having a schedule or a plan. The curriculum we use in our home (Sonlight) comes with a schedule provided for 36 weeks. Now in the one and half years that I've been doing this I have grown immensely in this area. I'm learning constantly how to make the schedule serve me, rather than becoming a slave to it. I've learnt what parts of Sonlight work for us, and what parts don't; I've learned to let those parts go without feeling guilt, and to make it suit our family.

Sonlight's Instructor 's Guide

Here's how:

I take 10 weeks of the Sonlight curriculum guide and consider this my framework. Then I make a term plan on scrap paper, with blocks, rather than days (so day 1, 2, 3 etc rather than Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday etc). Sonlight's separate schedules for the Core/LA/Science were too cumbersome for me, but I believe that has changed now. I've found this helpful because when life happens, and we are delayed, I don't feel guilty looking and seeing that it's Thursday and we haven't done any 'school' yet, rather, that we just need to pick up where we left off, on day 2. I streamline our selected learning from this broad guide: for example, I'll look at all the suggested LA assignments, and select some of them to do, I'll leave out the spelling, and make sure I add in more books for him to read.
Then in pencil, I write in my daily journal what I want to achieve that week. As we do it on the day, I tick off what we actually manage to do with a colored pen. This way I can adjust our week's load easily, but also have a final record of what I've done (which I draw from when I write my son's mid term and end of year report).

Getting this done takes me a couple of solid evenings at the beginning of the term, and that sacrifice of time is so worth it. On a weekly basis, I try and do the weeks plan on a Thursday during down moments in the morning, or latest by that afternoon (we use a 4 day school week), so that it's ready for us on Monday (I used to do it on a Sunday evening and that was awful!).

my weekly planner

Having a schedule or a plan is essential to my sanity!

Another tool that works for me is having a predictable routine. Again this is something that happens naturally in our home. My kids and I are early risers, and so we're all awake, fed and ready for the day by about 0730. When King Arthur and I get home from dropping the others at school, we start within minutes of walking through the door. It's just evolved into this over time, and now my son knows what is expected of him. Predictable routines lead to this - children knowing what is expected of them.

In terms of the details of our day, over time we've learnt, through much trial and error, what works for us (we're still learning this: as King Arthur grows, as I learn, as life changes...being open to this change is important!). We settle down to do seatwork first (Maths or Handwriting). This works for us as King Arthur is fresh, and at the end of the day it just doesn't happen well! I've learnt with Maths to keep the lessons short, and with Handwriting, I vary the assignments from day to day: copywork, creative writing, letters to Granny... anything that is written! Then we move from the table into the lounge where we do Science, Reading and History, and then at the end of school we do all our read-alouds.

However, in my grand plans, I've realized that I even need to schedule in the fun - the art, the experiments, the nature walks etc (perhaps this is even the real school stuff, just a thought!), because I have a tendency to want to tick everything off on the list, and by the time I've done that, I've run out of steam to do the fun things. This is an area I'm still working at, so there's much room for improvement....and watch this space, as it's likely I might throw out everything I'm used to in the coming months! I've been sensing change afoot!

To compensate for this, I've found it really helpful to share school with friends, or to run my own workshops, where I can get around to doing all the fun things I never seem to get to! I'm also fortunate to be around women who are also running things - King Arthur attends a friend's Art club, and music with another lady - areas that are not my strength.

I find it helpful to use this morning, when Elijah is at Art, wisely. It's the one morning every two weeks where I have my own head space for two hours, and I try to make sure it is used well. For me, having some personal head space on a regular basis, just to be still is also essential to getting it all done.

It's also helpful to be accountable to someone to get it done - Braveheart is amazing in listening to me week in and week out, when I relate to him our progress. Other times I just need a different perspective, and sometimes friends are able to offer that to me.

But life is not just about school! Over the last few years I've learnt some tools as to how to get "life done"! Time management is my golden key:

I schedule things at the same time - so whilst Aragorn is swimming, King Arthur does his reading, or whilst King Arthur does his gymnastics, we visit the library.
I've learnt how to plan my meals for a month, and do one monthly shop (which saves me both time and money), and then only shop once a week for fresh things. I'd love to tell you I cook two meals at once and freeze regularly, but the only time that happens is with spaghetti bolaignaise! This used to be the frozen for a meal on nights when we get home after 5. (I must add here, in all fairness, that Braveheart has blessed me by taking this meal on board, as it is his *meal* (he has a knack of making a delicious one!), and he makes it for us now)
I've learnt how to streamline buying birthday presents by keeping a birthday list year after year - so, for example, at the beginning of September I know how many presents I need to buy and I try and do that in one go.
I'm very privileged to have a lady to help me with housework, and her work is such a blessing to us. I've learnt though on the days she doesn't come, to first do what will make it feel like I'm on top of things before anything else. For me, making the beds, a tidy lounge and tidy kitchen counters make me feel like my house is in order, then as the day wears on, I can get to all the other little things. My kids also know how to pull their own weight in tidying things too.
I guard my time on the computer carefully, and with how I spend it in general.

Before I go any further I feel it quite important to share something with you. I like being organised. I like order. These things make me feel comfortable, and I like knowing what to expect. But sometimes, even for me, the best intentions of getting it all done can vaporize in a moment. I've been there these last few weeks, with launching Cape Explorers, attempting to run two blogs, managing family life, and investing in relationships.

What does one do then, when everything seems to go pear shaped?

I simplify. I strip down our life to the bare minimum. What are the absolute essentials I need to get done today?
- for me? (shower, eat?)
- for the house (dishes bathrooms, beds?)
- for the family (get them fed, quality time?)
...and get myself back together with a few days like that. It's no good getting myself into a nervous break down trying to get it all done! And after a few days like that, my perspective shifts and I am on an even keel again!

I do hope you find the time to read this month's carnival, and that we can learn and be encouraged by one another!

Here's to getting it done!

Switchfoot....Seriously.

2012-08-12T21:04:00.000+02:00

Were you one of those teenagers who had posters of famous actors/musicians/bands stuck up all over your walls?

Me, I think the pastors in my life had all read the books about drugs, sex and rock 'n'roll, so there was no way I was going to have any "ídols" on the walls in my room! And so this is where my ignorance about famous actors and musicians springs from - to the extent that now I am still absolutely clueless about who is in what, who sings what, or even the names of songs etc. Clueless. Head in the sand type thing. Yes I can get away with big bands and epic number 1 hits of all time, but any more than that and it's laughable! Now, hold that thought whilst I remind you I'm married to man whose calling it is to take the world of media by storm, to write and direct stories of character; who follows every movie as it is released, who is passionate about edifying lyrics and songs that grow the soul, and can answer almost any trivia question on cinematography.... and now... chuckle! Seriously. Poor man!

Roll on Braveheart's birthday this year (three days after Belle's!), and two dear friends who gave him a ticket to see this band:

You can well imagine how the conversation went in the car on the way there, and even as we were finding our seats.

Me: What do they sing again? Oh really? How does it go? Can you hum it? etc etc.

Now let me tell you something else. I have in my life - apparently been to 2 concerts before this one. I say two, because one I don't remember at all much to Braveheart's amusement (it was right in the early days of moving to Cape Town, and possibly everything was just so overwhelming I cannot place it..or it was just nothing to write home about...go figure), and the other was the U2 one last year. And I was bitterly disappointed. Perhaps our tickets (the cheapest ones - which were still "gasp" expensive!) meant we sat right at the top of the stadium, and the sound was terrible: I couldn't hear any of their words and it was so loud it was awful...(I may also be getting too old!). But that's me. So there was a certain amount of apprehension on my part as I sat down and started to absorb the first opening act.

And then God started. As I watched the first opening act, a children's choir singing out their hearts, slightly off pitch and in places a little jarring, God began speaking. Caressing my heart. It's been so significant for me that this concert coincides with meeting a few new people in the last few days who have each asked us about "where we fellowship". And it's got me thinking a whole lot about church (enough for a separate post to come). But sitting there, listening to the beautiful unpretentious faith of these young boys and girls, it made me remember how sweet the sound of worship is. How stunning it is when God's people come together and sing. And there is something holy about music, something sacred. It is music that undoes us, music that entices us, music that can soothe us. And music belongs to God. I sat there, covered in goosebumps, in the hands of the Spirit.

Then, Switchfoot came on, and as the concert unfolded, seeing this band in the flesh made me able to make a connection to the songs I've heard Braveheart play for years. The concert was incredible. It was unlike anything I've ever been to before (ahem, those two concerts and all the churches I've been in). It honestly felt more like an authentic representation of what church should be like in today's world - it was Christianity at its most real, without any mask of religiosity. Here were men who love God and who clearly know him, living their lives without being boxed in by modern Christian dogma, and it was exhilarating for my spirit. In fact, writing this make my spirit actually hurt in my chest. It. was. so. real.

And as per my nature, I came home to google this band that I hadn't really paid that much attention to, and having seen them, watched them - being at that concert felt 'intimate' in a sense. As though you were on holy ground. I can't quite put my finger on it. The lead singer, Jon Foreman, was absolutely free to be with the audience, and moved right through us, singing and touching people's hands...there was something so beautifully down to earth about him. I've loved some of the things that have been written about him, and that he's written, and I'd love to share them with you...and I've also included some links to their songs. Please do find the time to listen to them - the lyrics are so profound...it's like drinking food for thought!

According to Jon Foreman, the name "Switchfoot" is a surfing term. "We all love to surf and have been surfing all our lives so to us, the name made sense. To switch your feet means to take a new stance facing the opposite direction. It's about change and movement, a different way of approaching life and music." Switchfoot has struggled with being labelled as a Christian band, and I loved what he had to say in response to that, "For us, it's a faith, not a genre," says Jon Foreman. "We've always been very open and honest about where the songs are coming from. For us, these songs are for everyone. Calling us 'Christian rock' tends to be a box that closes some people out and excludes them, and that's not what we're trying to do. Music has always opened my mind—and that's what we want" (source: Wikipedia)

The Huffington Post picked up Jon Foreman's blog ( do click on over, it's well worth reading it all) and these two paragraphs blew me away:

There is no way out. We were born into the fight. Every noble pursuit will cost you: justice, wisdom, strength, marriage, children -- you will pay for these with your breath, your tears, your blood, even your life. We're all in this together -- fighting to make sense of the madness, to make our lives count. All of us are on a journey of desire. Longing, yearning, hoping, dreaming for a better day. But these dreams of ours are held in tension by the obstacles between where we are and where we hope to be. We are suspended in mid-air like a still life, a photograph. Frame by frame, we live our lives, forever stuck in the ether of the frozen now. Frame by frame we are frozen in the present between yesterday and tomorrow. Frame by frame we step forward towards the infinite unknown that only tomorrow can bring.

Recently, my friends and I recorded an album about the the struggle that we call life. We wanted a record that would speak to the polarity of our existence, the darkness and the light, the despair and the hope along the way. These vices of ours, we wanted to make 'em sing. We wanted to make a musical world that was held in tension by the poles of darkness and light. Maybe my songs have always come from the tension, the things that terrify me, the things that stretch me thin and keep me up at night. As much as I want to run away from these things, I can't. The strings of our hearts were not made for safety. No, these strings are made to dance. I cannot to hold the temporal too closely for the final freedom I long for was never hers to give. Safety cannot be found in the transients. I struggle to look beyond all of this. The transcendent alone can give meaning to the tension, purpose to the release. So I give up hoping for safety. I've given up hoping in the overstuffed pockets of the powerful and well fed. I've given up hope that I could ever buy what I truly need. Indeed if the world knows no justice, we're better off staying maladjusted. Stretched thin.

The Huffington Post has a list of all his blog posts they've featured - go on over, it's such food for thought!

May God do something in you as you listen to just some of these:

"Dare you to Move"

Learning to Breathe

This is Your Life, Your Love is a Song, "The Shadow Proves The Sunshine" (inspired by CS Lewis), Meant to Live....

And really, I could go on. Just get your hands on some of this music. Seriously!

Brutiful Life

2012-08-10T08:00:00.000+02:00

Glennon Melton coined that term in her blog, Momastery, and I think it is the most apt term I have heard all year.

Life is brutiful.

I love that word. It's an interplay of something beautiful, and something brutal. And life's that way for all of us, in different ways, on different levels, whether we recognize it or not. Christ even spoke of it - knowing that we will have suffering whilst living an abundant life.

Surrounding me at the moment are women recently married, whose marriages have rubbed off the rough edges on each other enough so that they are now truly cleaving to one another and making a new oneness. Beautiful. There are women who have been married for a few years, whose marriages are falling apart at the seams; women who have been married for a few years now realizing their vows aren't being upheld by their husbands and there are still others whose children are more or less all grown up whose husbands have chosen to simply walk away. Brutal.

There are women in my life who are carrying the wonder of new life, women who have just brought some sweetness into the world. Beautiful. Women enjoying the wonder of a child reaching those special milestones along those first few years. Beautiful. There are women whose children have been in almost fatal accidents, now helping their paralyzed children learn how to cope with the life that lies before them. Brutal. Women whose young children have just passed away. Brutal.

Brutal and beautiful life, in different seasons, and yet sometimes at the same time.

There's the joy in my heart when my children have friends over, and the angst when their heart requests are turned down. There's the thankfulness when a friend extends pure grace to one brother, and that sinking feeling when a brother is teased. There's the delight in seeing my little girl make new friends, and the painful desire to protect her forever from the blows of female relationships in her life.

There's the ease and delight of friendships, coupled with the pain and awkwardness of hurt and strained relationships. The joy of spending time with close friends with whom one can be oneself, coupled with the pain of being incorrectly judged by others.

Relationships, for me, have been the most brutiful part of my life over recent years. Relationships seem to make the most devastating blows on my heart and send me reeling for longer than I ever expect. All too often I make a decision to risk, and end up with a heart tattered and in shreds, and really, is it worth it? And personal faults aside (although not unnoticed), I know I am not alone. Hearing a friend's heart, or looking at the blogging world, I see this trend time and time again. Women like me, choose to withdraw, to shrink back, because it's easier.

Relationships are ALL risk.

Loving well, stepping over hurt, laying aside self and desires, draws on more of our interior resources than investing in a career, a skill, a personal pursuit. And yet, there are no promotions. No public status. No guarantees.

Relationships grow only in the soil of humility, selflessness, open-handedness.Relationships are inherently risky: for all that, you can’t control the outcome.

Investing in relationships requires courage. It mandates daily fortitude and intentionality to make moment by moment decisions to prioritize relationships while balancing vocational demands.

No guarantees.
Great courage.
Whew.

Are we up for it?

Belle's 4th Birthday

2012-08-09T21:47:00.000+02:00

My beautiful daughter turned 4 this week...something I'm having a hard time getting my head around. 4. She can no longer be considered the baby of our family at all. She's a real little girl. This week has been wonderful, remembering with her just what a blessing she is to us and our family, and how different our days would be without her. I am so thankful that God gave us this special, precious little girl...

She initially wanted to have a party in the snow at Ceres, then wanted to take everyone to Pringle Bay, then wanted to have another "God, Jesus and the Angels" party like last year, then a Jake and the Never land Pirates party...so eventually Bravheart and I decided we'd make a call, and loosely themed it around fairies! This was our most low key party in years, as I've been snowed under recently, but it was good for me to see how simple things can be such fun for kids!

We iced some fairy biscuits...

Played "fairy fairy pixie" (Belle's adaptation of "duck, duck, goose"!)

And a treasure hunt to find Belle's birthday cake which a bad fairy had stolen! Here they're trying their repertoire of magic words to open the gate ( it was "please!")...

And once thy had found their wands they could wave them and magically her cake appeared...and with another wave of their wand the cake became a rainbow one....

So filled with love for this special little lady...Happy Birthday my girl!

Lead - up and Launch: Cape Explorers

2012-07-29T13:29:00.000+02:00

So after our idyllic slice of heaven on last week, Monday morning dawned and one the way to school we were involved in an accident. It shook the kids and I quite a bit, and thankfully no one was hurt. I am so very thankful we are so particular about seat belts and even more so now, even on the stretches we are a little lax on before (you know, when you're *just* going around the corner?).

It's been horrible dealing with the accident, and dealing with the other driver. An accident is just what it is, an accident - a mistake. In this case, we were very fortunate that there was neighborhood watch footage of the accident, which has helped considerable. Braveheart as always, was amazing. I am so thankful for his strength that he so readily lends me, his stability, his calm and logical way of dealing with things, adn the way he is taken over the nitty gritty of this. The car doesn't look too bad here (the other one is badly damaged), but it's now a waiting game whilst insurance companies get their ducks in a row.

Starting the week like that threw me off a bit, especially as it was our first week back doing "school" with King Arthur, and the Cape Explorers launch. But, we got there, thanks to the support of Braveheart and friends who listened to my angst!

Cape Explorers launched this week, and it was such fun! It's an awesome group of kids and lovely moms, and I'm just looking forward to our journey. I used my kids as examples in playing a name game ice breaker...

Belle remained attached to my leg for
most of the day!

I'm so thankful for this home -
we used every conceivable room and table!
Painting shirts in the garage!

Perfect Peaceful Pringle Bay

2012-07-28T09:33:00.002+02:00

At the end of last term I had reached the end of myself - I was shattered. And although the holidays had started, the pace of life didn't seem to change, and as they wore on I realized that we really needed to get away to have a break. As a homeschooling mom, there really isn't much downtime (hang on, as a mother, I don't think there's much downtime!), but Braveheart realized what a fragile state I was in, and so blessed us with going away for a few days.

A dear friend arranged for us to stay in their family holiday home in Pringle Bay. I think my children thought we'd left the country, as they were in the sea so often in the first few days! Can you believe the extremes? One week a day trip into the snow, the next a swim in the sea!

I owe it to mention how much I appreciate the fact it is Braveheart in the water with them,
and not me!

Cold little bodies!

Love the delight!

In exploring we discovered a rocky area that so reminded me of a "moonscape"
on the Rooi Els side, and loved rambling over the rocks

We met a marine biologist on the rocks at Betty's Bay, and King Arthur learnt so much from her.
This is definitely where is heart is leaning at the moment, into conservation and the environment,
and I'm loving watching him!

One day we ran from the weather and outsmarted it, managing to find good weather. We stopped in at the Harold
Porter Botanical Gardens...

Then the weather turned, the wind blew...can you believe this is sand not snow!

And then the rain beat us - and the cold front stayed ...

but we stayed indoors and played card games from my childhood, Rummikub and puzzles!

Look at these fire damaged trees - we called them Tiger Trees!

It was a gorgeous time away, restorative, refreshing and invigorating!

Snow!!!!

2012-07-16T18:05:00.002+02:00

Saturday morning dawned like any other morning in this household. I casually checked my computer, peeking into Facebook and noting the snow updates from Matroosberg Nature Reserve in Ceres -I'd become "friends" with them earlier in the week. I mentioned it in passing to Braveheart, who knows that each year since we've been here I've wanted to go and find the snow. Well this year, before we were even all dressed, he made the decision to take us away to see the snow - what a blessing!

I scrambled to find us some overnight accommodation, and at the last minute, was pleased to find us a self catering chalet at the Pine Forest Resort in Ceres. It reminds me a lot of the National Parks places at home, and I was impressed with the cleanliness of the chalet we were in - basic, but everything one needed. The kids were so taken with it that we could have spent the whole weekend playing just there and they would have been happy! They had a wonderful playground as well, which our kids loved - not sure this would be my cup of tea in high season, but it was perfect for this weekend!

As we arrived after lunch, the snow seemed to have melted/reduced dramatically, so we decided to take a drive up some nearby mountain passes, and had a picnic and one of the look out spots....

Should I mention at this point how very cold it was....does this give you a clue?

See the rainbow?

Sunday sunrise on the mountains, and up early, we made our way to Matroosberg Nature reserve... our little Toyota Verso somewhat outnumbered by the sheer numbers of 4x4 - I've never really wanted to own one until this weekend! I was amazed by the queue out of the reception at 9 in the morning - clearly many people had had the same idea as us...but not so many were paying to hike - they were choosing to drive to the summit! Undeterred, we carried on, paid the fee to hike, and parked our car at the campsite car park, and walked the 2km to the start of the trail!

I was so impressed with my kids - their perseverance, determination and sheer grit to get to the snow. For little legs it was far...and yet they kept on. Once there, we had such fun....

building snowmen

having snowball fights...

Belle and I made this one...

Can youo see us on the side of the mountain?

Dad getting in on the fun!

Love my boys!

The mountain.....summit covered in cloud...

King Arthur was overjoyed to spot this Cape Sugarbird...

I need to work on my aim!

We knew it was time to head down the mountain when Aragorn tried to fold himself in half to keep warm, poor fellow...so back to camp to have a warm bath, hot chocolate and some much needed food!

It was idyllic in every way - a gift that warmed our hearts and will stay with us forever.

Aragorn's Restaurant

2012-07-14T08:32:00.002+02:00

These holidays were a little different for us as a family - usually we have a long list of things we want to do during the holidays, but these holidays I was so shattered form the term we kind of slumped into the holidays...and then it's only now as we come to the end of them that I'm starting to feel relaxed...unwound. I guess that's the point of a holiday! Thankfully Braveheart has agreed with me that we need to take another week off to fully recharge, and so we are - next week we've been given the opportunity to get away, and we are all looking forward to it!

Instead of the usual long list, each boy had only one desire really - King Arthur's was to have a Lego club at his house, and so each Wednesday he invited some friends round to play Lego with him the whole afternoon (if he'd had his way, there would have been a Lego Club all day every day! He even got upset the boys didn't want to play Lego the ENTIRE time they were here!). He had a wonderful time, and built some wonderful creations. I love how Lego is his absolute passion.

Aragorn on the other hand, wanted to have a restaurant. He wanted to cook and serve people and lay out tables and charge people. Plain and simple. And so after some thoughtful deliberation on my part, I decided I could probably manage a "tea-time" restaurant...and so one Saturday, we got to work...

First he designed the covers of the menus, and King Arthur wrote inside each one. Belle colored in the table numbers, and Braveheart helped Jonathan decide on prices - he chose a slice of chocolate cake to be his most expensive, at R4! It turned out to be this day long lesson in so many ways!

he wanted strawberry cup cakes.....

I love this shot! Oaty cherry biscuit hands!

My proud son...so pleased with what he's made, waiting for patrons to arrive. It took
a whole day of baking, and I was so impressed that he never complained once!

Aragorn employed his siblings for the afternoon too - he asked Belle to be the Front of House, welcoming guests to their tables....

appointed King Arthur to be his waiter, and so he dressed for the part and took everyone's orders....

the guests at their tables...

And at the end, King Arthur added up their bills, and organised the change....

I loved spending this time with Aragorn, and it was very special for me to see how much this is a part of who he is - he absolutely loves being in the kitchen, and loves serving people. I'm interested to see where this will lead! He next wants to have a "dinner time" restaurant, so I'll let you know when bookings are open! He used the money he made to pay his brother and sister for working for him, and combined with his pocket money, bought a toy he had been wanting for ages! I'm a proud mamma!

Celebrating the Solstice 2012

2012-07-13T21:02:00.000+02:00

Think it's high time we play catch up and I let you see what we've been up to...seeing as it's been a while...

so here begins a photo catch up of some of our last weeks....

Casting my mind back, we celebrated the solstice with a lovely friend who homeschools following a Waldorf curriculum, which in my humble opinion is just such a lovely creativity centered approach to learning. True to form this lovely mom took us on a magical night of creating lanterns and celebrating the winter solstice....

The children, and moms created lanterns...

the lovely lady and her daughter who hosted this special evening...

we shared a meal of delicious soup and bread....

the children saying grace....

embarking on the walk through the neighborhood