Waterplay

With the weather warming up, I've been doing some water play activities with the girls. Nothing beats water for keeping kids happy! Their favourite at the moment is washing their doll's clothes (and often the dolls and teddies get thrown in for a much needed bath as well). I place a large bucket or basin on the grass, fill it with water and give Amy and Emma a piece of soap. They gather all the dolls clothes etc and the fun begins. Using pegs is really good for strengthening little hands, and it's very rewarding for kids once they get the hang of it. Here's a pic of Emma admiring her handiwork.



Miss Jessie isn't included in this activity as she would get straight in the water and it's a little too cold for that, but she gets her very own water activity up on the deck, so she's not complaining!

Amy's latest hairstyle

After weeks of preparing Amy emotionally, we finally got rid of her braids last week. Helen (the lady who does her hair) came around on thursday morning and spent just over two hours creating her new hairstyle. As with last time, lots of DVDs and snacks helped to keep Amy glued to the chair for the entire time!




Helen twisted Amy's natural hair with black wool to make these coils. they look so pretty, and will also help to straighten her hair a bit, making putting in braids easier next time. Amy is so pleased with the result, and we all think she looks gorgeous! (And of course, Emma is now asking for "short hair".)

Trampolining to Vivaldi

Emma is going through a phase of wanting to dance (do ballet) everywhere and all the time. So today she was dancing in the kitchen and asked me to put on the Vivaldi CD ( I got the idea from www.simplycharlottemason.com of learning to appreciate the music of different composers by listening to their music for 6 weeks at a time. i.e. six weeks of Vivialdi, followed by six weeks of Bach, etc), when I had the idea of taking the CD player outside, and jumping/dancing on the trampoline with the music playing in the background. The girls loved it and we spent almost an hour outside, jumping and dancing and pumping up the volume. It was such a lot of fun, we'll definitely be doing it again!

Smoothie Junkie

I just can't have enough of them. I have one every morning for breakfast, and often another one in the evening after supper (I eat with the kids at about 5pm so by the time Craig's come home and eaten his supper, I'm ready for another one!)

These days I usually throw the following into the blender:
* a banana or two
* an orange or two
* a handful of almonds
* a cup or two of water
And if I'm feeling creative and have any of these on hand:
* a guava
* some dates
* some frozen berries
* passion fruit
And sometimes even
*a handful of baby leaved spinach

Yes you read right: SPINACH!
It's got such a mild flavour that it doesn't affect the delicious fruitiness of the smoothie, and what a great way to get your greens! If you think I'm the only one crazy enough to drink green smoothies, check out www.greensmoothiegirl.com - some people are so committed to their green smoothies it's practically become a religion.

It's been about two weeks since I made the decision to make a concerted effort to stay about from deserts and chocolates and cake and biscuits etc etc, and to regard them as TREATS, not everyday necessities. So when I feel the need for something sweet, I start throwing things into the blender!

"Baking" - we're on a roll!

We made date balls yesterday, which were a great hit.
1 cup dates (preferably having been soaked for at least an hour, or overnight)
1 cup oats
1 cup coconut
Blend together, add a tiny bit of water into the blender or food processor if necessary. Then let the kids have fun rolling the balls - and watch out that too many don't end up in their mouths. We had one sore tummy after this as Emma just couldn't control herself!!

I find that eating a few date balls takes away my craving for chocolate (anybody else have similar cravings, or am I the only woman on the planet??!)

Undue pressure

"Don't fret or worry (be anxious for nothing). Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. (The peace of God, which transcends understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Christ Jesus.) It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."
Phil 4: 4,7 (Message; NKJV)

"Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God...casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."
(1 Pet 5: 6,7)

I have been struggling so much over the past few weeks with feelings of anxiety and inadequacy regarding my children's education. Even though they are so young I've been putting a lot of pressure on myself to "get it all right", do all the right activities with them to build the necessary skills, and provide exactly the kind of stimulation they need at exactly the right time. Basically it's been rooted in a feeling that because we've chosen not to send them to nursery school (whereas all but one of my friends' kids are at nursery school) I have to prove that I'm doing the right thing and providing the same kind of stimulation that they'd get in that kind of environment.

On Friday I listened to a talk on CD by Ivana Reis, the author of Love2Learn, and she hit the nail on the head: many people feel this pressure when they start homeschooling - they feel that their kids need to be "perfect" in behaviour and academic performance, to prove to the world that homeschooling is a good choice. This is exactly the kind of pressure I've been putting on myself and my children. This has resulted in me not enjoying my kids, because of being frustrated with them when they don't meet my expectations. And hey, they're only THREE!!!

It's taken a few emails and a couple of hour long phone conversations with a dear friend who is also homeschooling, for me to realise this and start untangling feelings from truth.

It also struck me that my children are learning so much every day, just in living everyday life. They talk nonstop (like most three year olds!), commenting on everything that's going on around them. My life is a conversation with them, and in talking with them I can hear that they're unravelling the mystery of the world around them, translating everything they see and experience into something meaningful to them. They're also adding to their skills every day, and are so proud of their accomplishments. Dressing themselves, pouring their own juice, brushing their teeth, "helping" me in the kitchen - "Look Mom, I'm such a big girl!" They've learnt so much in their short lives - and all of this has happened without any formal instruction! It's happened just by living together, talking and listening, reading stories, going for walks, visiting friends, going to the shops, drawing and finger painting, cutting and pasting, eating meals together and most of all, playing.

All this brings to mind Deuteronomy 6:7, which speaks of how we should teach our children the commands and promises of God:
"And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart [you can't teach your kids what isn't real to you]; you shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up."

This is such a beautiful model of parents educating their children. It's echoed so powerfully in the model Jesus gave us of discipleship.

Lord, forgive me for relying on myself to achieve goals which you've never called me to in the first place. As of today I want to be found at the foot of the cross, relying on Your incredible grace, Your unconditional love, Your voice to tell me "This is the way, go in it." Please help me to see my children from Your perspective, and forgive me for trying to use them as a measure for my own sense of self worth. Thank You for your abundant blessings.

Hannah's Rules

Craig & I attended a presentation last week by Graeme Codrington called "Hannah's Rules", about a new generation of ethical consumers who are interested in more than just buying a product. They want to know what impact their purchase is going to make on the environment, how they can contribute to a "greener" world, living sustainably, how companies whose products they are buying treat their employees etc.

Some things he mentioned that families can do to start making a difference:
* Start a family boycott list, of companies whose products you as a family will boycott because they do not meet your "earth or people friendly" standards
* Start a list of companies you will support because of their ethics and values (earth and people orientated)

And something I want to start, is a list of things we are doing and need to do as a family to respect the earth:
* sign up with www.resolutionrecycling.co.za
* stop using plastic packets when shopping
* use natural products for cleaning the house and ourselves!
* grow some of our own vegetables

Websites to check out:
www.nick2015.com
www.treehugger.com