New Rhythms New Approaches

So we have been home for half a week now and things are slowly settling into place. Well, the mess certainly is! As we find our rhythm again we find it has changed a little here and there.
For one thing we seem to be lacking a space in our week for the library visit we loved so much. Friday would work but our teeny tiny local library isn't open on Friday. Thursday before ballet would be possible but I'm learning the wisdom of simplifying as much as possible at the tender ages of A and M. We are all so much happier and calmer when we only do one major thing on each outing. So perhaps the library will have to wait for the weeks we don't do the local homeschool co-op class.
One thing we are experimenting with is an earlier dinner time for everyone. P was only eating two meals a day while he was away and would like to continue and M has always had a certain point in the evening beyond which she just won't eat anything so I'm hoping this will work for all of us. The mountains are turning on the full force of their weather at the moment but on the nicer days we have been eating then heading outside to play until the chickens are ready for bed. It's challenging for me as I'd rather be inside cleaning up but I feel outside time at dusk had many many benefits so I tell those nagging little voices to be quiet.

Blue Mountains Food Co-op 30th Birthday

This was meant to be just a short sojourn in our Saturday but both children had such a marvelous time we ended up staying around 7 hours I think.

Unschool Monday - screentime

No, not a self-righteous post full of impassioned arguements for or against. Just a description of our day. M's day at least involved a lot of it. A lot. She grabbed the iPad and started playing her new Magic School Bus app before even getting out of bed. Actually most of the day was spent with that app. It would possibly be an understatement to say she loves it. She also tinkered around with a few other apps - mostly phonics/spelling type ones and currently she is on a youtube enabled Magic School Bus marathon. I think we're on maybe the fifth one for the day. I politely suggested this might be the last one since (appropriately) she is booked in for a CSIRO run chemistry workshop at the local homeschool co-op tomorrow morning.
Joining in with owlet

Home again

and peaceful. Travel was peaceful, home is peaceful. Strange (to me at least) but true. Parents and children meditation tomorrow. Grand.

Metamorphosis

Holding the space for a few more weeks...

Unschool Monday - Sibling connection

 Had M started school this year, this would most likely have been her second week of school. This morning at an activity we witnessed a very very sad little girl. Not a meltingdown or a tantruming little girl, but one who is just very sad at heart. Too sad to play with some of best friends. M has two very dear friends, siblings who are quite close in age and very close emotionally. Today this little girl's brother started school. Today and from now on she will not see him between the hours of 9 and 3 on weekdays.

Today the brother and sister who live here took a nap

and a walk

There's a bed in my loungeroom

and this feels very strange. It's not a temporary, set-up for welcome (or less welcome) visitors. It's a new permanent feature. It's actually a kind of chair/day-bed. Never the less right now it looks a lot like a bed to me and I find it weirdly disturbing.