Continuing my blog!

I decided that I really do like this format and so I am going to endeavour to backdate posts from our trip so far!  It might take some time, but best to start now before the task becomes unachievable!  Thankfully I have been keeping a journal so I can copy and paste and post some photos for you to enjoy too! :D

Moving to facebook...

I really do like the layout of blogger, but it is reality that most people don't have the time to look at facebook as well as a separate blog, so, reluctantly, I am moving our updates to facebook.
I must admit that it is a lot easier to post photos & to follow our adventures through facebook.

If you search for "Our Little Family's Australian Adventure", that's us!

(Shame I just got a box of business cards made up with our blog address on them!!)

Happy New Year wishes! And welcome 2015!

Wow, we saw the new year in after taking the kids as close as we could in the time we had, up the bay to see the family fireworks (specks in the sky - Chelsea wasn't close enough it turns out!) & then they all slept on the way back to our van, and we managed to transfer the boys into bed and Amelia woke up but went straight to sleep as well!  Tony headed over to our neighbours at the caravan park here to celebrate and I read for a while before falling asleep!  I actually really enjoy quiet new years these days, so it was pretty perfect.  (Though some chocolate to celebrate wouldn't have gone astray!)

I hope everyone out there had the new year's each of you most enjoy, for some the same as previous years, maybe some wild celebrations(?!) and for others, maybe a slightly quieter night now you are a parent and there is a little bundle of joy fast asleep nearby!

Wishing you all the most wonderful, joyful year ahead in 2015 & may it bring you many exciting adventures!  I hope you can follow some of ours along the way.

Love from our little family xoxoxoxoxo

The quiet pace of Mornington is coming to an end!

It has certainly been nice leading a slower paced life during our stay in Mornington. 

After this busy year it has been a welcome change! 

Our van is set up, we have the last of our things to store this week and then our trip really begins once we drive onto the spirit of Tasmania!!

Icecream at Mornington, Vic

We haven't travelled far from home yet! We decided to stay near Melbourne as Tony's younger brother is getting married & my dad is coming to visit from Switzerland in December & January.

It will e great to spend time with family before we hit the road, or ferry, as the case may be!

At first I wanted to head off straight away, but staying in Mornington has been superb as it has allowed us time to fine tune where we want to pack everything in the van, and making the most of the small space we have, without the need to hurry!

It was a warm night the other night so we ended up taking the children in to Mornington Main Street for icecream. Unsurprisingly there were no complaints!

Our homeschooling method is one of natural learning

Our homeschool method is one of natural learning & this article describes it perfectly!

http://www.home-ed.vic.edu.au/2007/05/04/natural-learning-in-action/

This is the first part of the article that I really resonate with:

"Confession time: Sometimes I get ‘the guilts’ and think I’m not really educating my children at all. This feeling usually creeps in following someone’s wide-eyed response when I tell them that I home educate.

“Wow, I could never do that! You must be so organised!”

The overawed responses vary but the words ‘busy’, ‘dedicated’ ‘organised’ and ‘amazing’ crop up fairly often. My guess is you hear this kind of thing too. And then the guilt sets in because these people have entirely the wrong idea about me. They think that I am a super-organised disciplinarian, planning lessons; conscientiously implementing a study routine; supervising progress; correcting work and so on…

I’m not doing any of that stuff! The fact is that most of the time, I’m doing my own thing whilst the kids do theirs. As the clock ticks over 9.00 a.m. here you won’t find me with the dishes and daily washing and cleaning done ready to supervise the day’s school work. In fact it’s quite likely that I am checking my email in my pajamas whilst the kids are still reading in bed. One of them is almost certainly still asleep.

Sometimes natural learning seems to be ‘doing nothing.’

I think the thing is that following a natural learning lifestyle means that the parental role is so different to that of a teacher that even we home educating parents have trouble seeing and recognising it for what it is sometimes. We don’t appreciate how hard we work to help our children learn because we cease to consider it ‘work’ and just think of it as ‘life’. The truth is that natural learning involves much more than ‘doing nothing’ or letting the kids do whatever they want. On the contrary, parents are very involved in their children’s natural learning. Yes, my children pretty much do what they want as long as they are not causing a problem. But what we natural learners find is that, given the chance to do whatever they wish, children choose many activities and pursuits where learning is incidental (indeed inevitable) and that, as they grow older, children choose to learn more overtly in the direction of their own interests and often pursue those interests to a very high level. The child who is still asleep at 9.00 a.m. has often been writing a story or researching until late into the night.

So what of the parents’ role? No we are not implementing timetables but we are very far from being divorced from the process of learning which is going on in our homes. Encouraging natural learning is very much a facilitator’s role. We teach our children how to find out what they want to know. We answer their questions as toddlers and, as they grow older, we show them how to use the index of books, the library catalogue system and the internet but none of this is done in lesson form. It is just ‘taught’ naturally as the need arises. We search high and low for books that will appeal to them – both fiction and non-fiction. We take them to clubs, exhibitions, festivals, sports and activities that will interest them. We stock up on resources – books, art materials, writing materials, board games and so on. We provide the time and the freedom for them to develop their imaginations through long imaginative games. We display their models and artwork. In short, we help them in thousands of ways to actively pursue any interest they have.

We are also the sounding board for many of their ideas, thoughts and imaginary games. We take their opinions seriously. We thoughtfully read everything they write, even their first faltering attempts which we may also join with them in laughing at years later. We comment, correct or proofread as requested. We are the audience for their lounge-room concerts and sit through hours of recitals of their made-up songs and poetry. We preview books that we think might appeal to them. We read everything they recommend and talk to them about what they read. We type up their stories. We help them make signs and props for their games. Sometimes we purchase what we or they can not make – e.g. play money for their shopping games. We make time to explain concepts when requested and to demonstrate skills they wish to pick up. We frequently drop what we are doing in order to respond to their interests, their questions and their pursuit of knowledge. In fact we honour their quest for knowledge and help them to see how important it is.

We have no structure in a school sense but in a very real sense our whole lives are structured to aid, assist and encourage our children to learn and to love learning. ..."

Setting up our van. Aahhhh the simple life!

We have spent this week driving back and forth collecting everything we want to take in the van, re-sorting it, giving some more items to charity that we won't fit (& as aren't essentials), and bringing the rest to the van. Then we go through each bag or box and decide where to store everything so that we leave room for the rest of our things and so everything is in a spot that makes practical sense & the most efficient use of space! This process has actually taken longer than we expected and is quite tiring - more than we'd imagined as things have moved spots a number of times already! - but it feels so good "moving" into our new home on wheels & putting our belongings in/away makes it feel warm and inviting! And it is exciting because this is all we will be living with, indefinitely! ..aahhhh, the simple life! 

Day 4 - A photo of our tug & home on wheels!

This is where we'll be living! Now that we are over the hurdle of our first night, are filling all the cupboards with our belongings and the beds are all made with our linen from our old house, it feels more like our home. We are loving having so much time outside and enjoying the fresh air!