Captured Moments #26
Opera, Poetry & (car) Breakdowns.
“Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back, and reasons to stay.”
Dalai Lama
Hi everyone! How's your week going? Ours has been pretty hectic with car troubles keeping us on our toes. We've had another breakdown (luckily just the car again, not me!), leading to some unplanned bus rides and a lot of juggling to get everywhere we need to be. I think I’ve spent the whole week in the car! With the end of term fast approaching, we've also had Sharing Day at Embers Learning Community, adding to the busy schedule. Needless to say, we're all ready for a rest and slower pace!
This week I shared with you a new project I am working on called Stories, You can read all about it here. I would love to hear from any fellow home educators out there who would like to share their stories as a catalyst for change! Drop me a message if you or someone you know would like to be involved.
For now, let's take a moment to look back together on our week as a family embracing unschooling.
Head
The kids wrapped up their algebra unit with Whole Brain Home Ed, and now they're taking a well-deserved two-week break. Agnes and Barney have been amazing with this new maths approach, diving in with open hearts and minds, and they're really enjoying the challenge. Although they're very happy to leave Algebra there for now! We're all looking forward to this break, a chance to reflect on all the progress they've made, not just in maths but in trying new things and stepping out of their comfort zones.
Barney decided to skip Creative Writing this week to celebrate his best friend's birthday, while Agnes spent her time in creative writing working on character backstories for her story, weaving them into the dialogue.
I've been focusing on Edith's ongoing Speech Therapy, playing games to help her blend different sounds. She's also been enjoying snuggling up in our bed in the mornings to practice reading while I have my morning cuppa, which has become my favourite moment of the day.
Meanwhile, Barney has been busy coding, working on a forest-themed game for me because he knows how much I love trees.
And on my end, I've been putting together a job pack as I search for a new support facilitator for one of our Embers teams. I'm really excited to interview the candidates – it's a part of the job I absolutely love. I could talk about self-directed learning and child autonomy all day long, and Justin definitely thinks I do, especially during interviews!
Heart
This week, Edith has been lost in her imagination, creating magical worlds for her dolls, Agnes has been in and out of the games too. But as the weather warms up, you'll only find Edith out in the garden, soaking up the sunshine!
As the Spring term comes to a close, it's time for Sharing Days at Embers Learning Community. These days are truly special, as the young ones showcase all their creations and projects from the term. They run a little café, serving homemade treats to our community, marking the end of one term and the start of another. Witnessing the abundance of creativity on display is incredibly rewarding – it's a dream come true!
We managed to get free tickets for the Welsh National Opera on Friday, although Justin had to work, so one of Aggy’s friends joined us instead. It was an engaging performance, teaching us about arias, concertos, and different musical instruments. We clapped along and even danced to the rhythms! The highlight for the kids was undoubtedly the Harry Potter theme – simply magical!
Despite some car troubles, the fun continued as I met up with friends to listen to Hollie McNish read her poetry. It was a perfect evening, filled with smiles and laughter. If you haven't already, do check out Hollie's work – it's truly wonderful!
Hands
Agnes delved deeper into her bird project with Home Ed Creatives, this time exploring collage to create striking black and white images of geese. She thoroughly enjoyed the process and is eager to explore further!
Barney dedicated most of Monday to his Oceans project for Embers Sharing Day. Teaming up with a friend, they crafted a whale and were determined to make it move in water. After numerous attempts, Barney ingeniously used his K’Nex motor to suspend the whale by string... and it worked!
Agnes joined forces with her friend to complete their project: weaving and crafting with sea string collected from the beach. They were thrilled with the outcome of their collaboration.
Meanwhile, Edith immersed herself in her mud kitchen, concocting potions, soups, mud pies, and cookies throughout the week. She's found her happy place once again—outdoors in her PJs and wellies, often remaining so for the entire day. Making friends with neighbourhood kids, she's eager to join them for playtime after they finish school—an exciting prospect in our new neighbourhood!
On Ostara, Barney celebrated his best friend's birthday with a trip to the local country park, endless football matches in the garden, and a sleepover. The fun continued the next day at forest school, where they continued building an amazing den!
The rest of us took a leisurely walk to one of our favourite spots despite the cloudy weather. We delighted in spotting signs of spring, and the girls enjoyed capturing the moment with photographs. Our veggie seedlings decided to make their debut on Ostara, a promising sign! I'm looking forward to getting our veggie garden started this year. We refreshed our nature table display, brought out our spring-inspired books, and adorned the table with tulips. We're ready for this much-needed shift in energy!
Last night, after a particularly exhausting week, I was completely spent. Rushing through the door, I decided to run a bath even though dinner was still pending. I urged the kids to grab something quick from the snack cupboard so I could steal a moment to myself. Despite the week being filled with fun, connections, and a fair share of stress, I just needed a breather. A pause. A break from conversation and motherly duties.
After my bath, I slipped into my PJs and found Justin had started making (vegan) sausage sandwiches and chips for us all. The relief of not having to think about dinner! I spent the rest of the evening curled up watching Heartstopper with Agnes, which felt like the perfect way to unwind after a hectic week.
Unschooling intertwines every aspect of life seamlessly, which is incredible, but it can also be draining when every part of your life feels interconnected—home, work, and learning.
As we bid farewell to another week, I want to thank you for taking the time to read along, and I’ll see you back here next week. But for now, over to you guys. Tell me, what have you been up to this week?
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Warmest wishes,
P.S
Here are a few other reads you may enjoy this week:
A big highlight this week is my 11yo deciding to do video editing, which I've frequently found difficult to get into. Their verdict? Exciting and easy and definitely working more on it. I'll know who to ask when I need an editor!
This week I haven't been eating chips...But now I'd really like some. 😆
What a beautiful week - minus the car troubles. I am so excited for your stories series, my son is only two but I am very confident we will be homeschooling and I am fascinated by others experiences and stories. Thank you for sharing my posts here too!!