Poppetville

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

                                                                                                               soulemama

 

 

Reflections from an Unschooling Parent | Raising Miro on the Road of Life - Travel Podcast

I’ve been an unshooling parent now for almost three years. Recently I have found myself reflecting on the role I play in contributing to my son’s education. I do recognize that  ’participating’  means  being hands off in terms of teaching, but it’s really ‘all hands on deck’ in terms of showing up. I have discovered  that as an unschooling parent, I am accountable for being who I am  and contributing a ‘whole self’ to the learning experience.

So this is my responsibility, to be emotionally healthy, to be happy, to be present and to be engaged in the world around me. This is who I bring to my son and I realize my role as the unschooling parent is not to teach, it is to show up for him as such.

Combine traveling and unschooling  and you’ve created a natural learning environment. This lifestyle provides the utmost of freedom. We are always stimulated with the newness of our surroundings. We always manage to find something to inspire us. And there are always new things to do, new experiences to embark on, new adventures to take.

via www.raisingmiro.com

Leading by example is the most amazing gift you can give to your children.

Ever.

Fetes

Anyone who knows us will recognise that Bernie and I love fetes.

We used to scout them out even before we had children of our own.

Now the poppets love them too and know that they are full of homebaked treats, a bouncy castle or two, face painting, maybe a treasure or two, special prizes and lots of laughter.

 

Stuff

We have been making lists of what we want to keep, in case we come back to Australia or buy a house or settke somewhere one day, and those lists are SHORT.

Really short.

It has amazed me at how much stuff we have that we would sell or give away without even contemplating that decision for one second.

Soooo many possessions that we have worked for, sacrificing precious time with each other and our children for. It is crazy.

This simple list has made us really think about how we live our lives and we have since realised that experiences, for us, are imperative to happiness. Not stuff.

We feel liberated.

Scared at the amount of work that has to be done between now and when we go, but we are on the minimalist ship gearing up to set sail.

Bring it on.

Speaking of experiences...

the Marriott had a great deal for $140 per night so we jumped us and went.

 







Just what we needed after the reality of returning home from a holiday! Decadent but totally what we are about right now.

Does god have a computer?

Lily is questioning everything at the moment, she is at that lovely age where there are no boundaries in her mind.

So the, Mummy does God have a computer morphed into an interesting conversation about God/soul/spirit/humans and our roles in the world, how religion is not the same in different countries and how God's angels are all colours of the rainbow.

I love unschooling and where we end up most days.

I love not having to compartmentalise her thoughts into an adult world. The freedom and creativity generated from this is amazing.

How I miss the beach and the warm, warm days...

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

                                                                                                               soulemama

 

Pink Tea House

There is a wonderful place in Chiang Mai called the Pink Tea House, or Vieng Joom On.

Lily wanted to visit as soon as she heard about it. (hint, it's pink)

So we went and it was beautiful.

 

 

This is pink lavender lemonade, very sweet and cool.

 

These are some petite fours that the children attacked before I  could capture them in their entirety on film...

Daddy's caramel banana crepes (drooling yet?)

 

 

Where in the world...

We have decided that we are going to leave life as we currently know it for the fresh, uncut pastures of the world.

We did it pre-marriage/children/mortgage/real adulthood and had the best time ever. After that trip of 12 months or so we decided to gift our children the world and go again when they were reasonably young.

This thing called the internet was invented between that period and now (yes we are old) and it has changed everything.  A. Lot.

So we are planning an adventure with no set plans, only whimsy and some cash.

We have saved and been quite frugal for our entire marriage and so we are going to sell or donate everything we own: house, business, cars, furniture, toys, books (gulp; even these), clothes, shoes, beds, furniture...

You get the idea.

So we will be eseentially free.

Free from material possessions and supposed roles that dictate how we spend our money and time.

Time.

Stuff.

Life.

Love.

 

 

 

Imagine

What if we dare to dream?

Dare to dream the impossible? the unfathomable? about a life that is so different from what everyone else is doing it scares you to the core?

 

Then what if that becomes bigger than a dream and discussion ensues?

What happens when a new life is formed, entwining words, dreams, reality with your heart?

The biggest decisions should be made sitting by a pool while sipping iced lemongrass tea and watching your children swim.

 

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