Balancing Our Time

Finding balance is important to me,  whether it's balancing people's needs, balancing what's important to us or balancing time. Finding the right amount of anything can sometimes be tricky. With the beginning of the school year has come an onslaught of new activities. There are more possibilities of things to do than we have time for or choose to have time for.

We value a slow paced life. We don't want to rush through life, we want to have breathing room. Space. 

Space to think.

To play.

To create

And to learn....

that mosquitoe larvae breath through tubes in their butts. 

And so, we make room for all our various church responsibilities, for cheerleading and gymnastics, for park days, library time and a field trip or two. These things are important to us. However, down time is equally important - having large chunks of time to dive into a project, explore a new idea or just be. When we add things to our schedule we take our time doing them. If there's not time to go slow, we're trying to do too many things. 

Because It's been awhile since I've posted pictures of butterflies. 

Xury was enthralled with the "adorable" cockroaches....

and the awesome garbage eating mealworms. We didn't know bugs could eat styrofoam!

I was obsessed with these amazing chrysalises.

This is the Orange Spotted Clearwing chrysalis. And, I think, this may be the Orange Spotted Clearwing butterfly.

I think, right now, we've reached just about the maximum amount of stuff we want to cram into our days. We'll see. If the scales start tipping towards stress and exhaustion, it will be time to reevaluate and make time for space.

Back to Unschool

It is officially back to school season around here which means very little to us, except that the beaches, parks and stores are way less crowded and the craft area is now well stocked and organized.

    I still have a thing for school supplies. 

Most people's lives are returning to routine and I guess ours does too, by default. Friends will go back to school and homework so there will be less hanging out and sleeping over, more time with just us. Weekdays will be distinguishable now, if only by the fact that friends aren't available anymore. Aravis has started cheer and Xury is starting swim club so our days are becoming more filled. 

And yet, so much stays the same. Our sleep schedule won't change much. There will still be park days, beach days and movie marathon days. We'll explore nature, ask questions, look up answers, experiment, read, play and learn. 

 

A few days ago we went to a nature preserve and got there just in time to watch them feed a couple of the animals. This bearded dragon and turtle were devouring some blueberries. 

We learned that this turtle's shell and back legs are deformed because she wasn't fed the right food when she was younger and how important diet is to development. 

We spent time in the nature center learning, exploring, drawing and playing. 

The girls made up stories with the animal puppets. 

We've also been Lego-ing like crazy lately. It started with some sets Xury got for her birthday. I wasn't sure if she was quite ready for them but she totally was. I helped her with the instructions but she put them together all by herself. 

We got out the rest of the Legos which led to days and days of non stop Lego building with not much else getting done....llike laundry or meals. 

Aravis's...

Mine...

We built and Xury played. So while laundry and meals have resumed, all our creations have stayed out on the dining room table and gotten lots of play time. 

And so, it's continuing to unschool season for us, just like always. 

Why We Unschool

We've had weeks of gorgeous weather so we've been enjoying lots of time outdoors. I love watching my kids enjoy themselves and this free, unhurried life we've created for ourselves. It's reminded me again of the beauty of Unschooling and why we do what we do. 

I want my kids to experience and enjoy life. 

I want them to stop, to notice....

to think and ponder and muse.

I want them to investigate and question.

I want them to go slow, to wander, to take their time. 

I want them to touch...

to feel...

to see...

I don't want them to think what everyone else is thinking or do what everyone else is doing. 

I don't want them to rush or be pushed or blindly follow. 

I want them to be intentional. I want them to be thoughtful. I want them to feel respected and I want them to be heard. 

I want them to know.

I want them to learn.

There is so much beauty in the everyday;

 

in discovery,

in learning,

and being,

and doing.

I wouldn't trade this journey we're on for anything in the world.