… and Click

There are some moments in life, moments pure and perfect where you stop and take a photograph with your mind.

Notice this, I say to myself. Mind this. Remember this. Feel this.

Those moments are like spotting rainbows, or a child's hand quietly slipping into yours. You hold them close. You remember them always.

I still remember breastfeeding my son under the trees when he was less than a year old.

I remember the very last night I breastfed my daughter, at almost three years old and how she fell asleep tucked against my skin.

I remember, clearly, kissing my husband on the dunes in San Francisco when we were new to each other. The wind rising, the waves turning, crashing, turning…just for us.

I remember 13 years ago, standing under cold stars on an empty street in Lake Tahoe. I remember singing in harmony with a friend, singing over the North Sea in Yorkshire when I was 24. And just the other day, I remember walking towards my children, and suddenly feeling the deep invincible burn of loving them.

You take note in moments like these. You stop. Click.
Stop, click. Stop. Click.


And… some days I also pull out my phone and take a picture,

to make doubly sure a sweet moment sticks.

'Cause it's nice sometimes to have an actual photo to look back on.
(As lovely as the memories are, and as much as they make me glow)

And sometimes because I think, perhaps my memory won't always be enough. Everyone has those days, don't they, when you look back and go, "What was it we did again?" or "What did we do yesterday?" or… "I don't remember that at all."

Plus, well…it's always good to have a record for the homeschool diary :)

We've been so busy the past few weeks. A beautiful man has gone away then returned. (Hooray, hooray, hooray). We have tripped to Sydney, and returned. We have gone to the beach and gone to the beach and…gone to the beach. We have walked the dog. The kids began juggling class. They made an online story forum for people who want to write about cats. We have done our computer science class. We have cooked and eaten scrumptious vegan food. The kids have scootered (and I have watched). We have read. We have written. We have walked. We bought an iPad!! We have been in the newspaper. We have laughed and we have played and we have learned.

Can I show you how our days have been…?

I'd like that, very much.

Our Sydney Adventure

Including: Ladybugs, Chinese Gardens,

Views Down and Around,

and DeepBookDiving

Our Outdoorsy Days

Scootering

Beaching

Walking

Laughing

Our Learning

Forum Creating

Story Writing

Game Playing

Computer Sciencing (with the cat!)

Box Building at Bunnings

Card Workshopping

and
Ball Juggling

Our Music

A Jazz Concert

A Classical Indian Music Concert

and

A Boy's First Jazz Piano Gig!

And oh, it was so cold out!
My boy kept rubbing his hands together to keep them warm between songs.
Then played his heart out. 

Our Vegan Life

Lasagnes and Quesadillas!

(plus we ate Pizza… and Moroccan Sweet Potato Stew…and Vegie Burgers… 

and Almond Pancakes…and Lentil Bolognese! Yummilicious)

Plus some

Vegan Essay Writing (by a girl)

and

Vegan Poster Making (by a boy)

My boy showed me his (done on Paintbrush) drawing with his typical mischievous grin…

then he decided to create a series of posters using quotes from different faiths and philosophies 

(Christianity, Buddhism, Confucious, the Bahaii faith, Hinduism),

all quoting the Golden Rule. Pretty beautiful. 

I am so proud of my kids for reading up about veganism, 

for becoming informed, and expressing their views. 

They inspire me to do more, say more, speak more. 

And publish more pictures of scrumptious vegan food :) )

Our fame

We were in the paper!

I was interviewed via email recently for a Mother's Day article coming out in the local paper.

I was asked about homeschooling and mothering…

and wrote lots and lots of words in response :) 

The photographer came to our house and snapped a thousand photos. It was a lot of fun.

When the article came out yesterday
 (along with lovely interviews with 6 other mums), 

I was so pleased to see that the points I felt strongest about were kept in. 

I was so glad to see homeschooling (specifically unschooling/life learning) 

shown in such a positive light. 

It made me so happy. 

And…
Our Together.

I love these kids.
I love being their mother.
It's a cup-runneth-over kind of love.
The best kind of love there is.

I hope all is as well for you, on this Mother's Day,

as it is (and it beautifully, magically is)

for us.