Our Homeschooling Adventures and Activities for Mar-Apr 2026.

Our homeschooling Adventures and Activities:

Our Homeschooling Activities:

Homeschooling.

Our homeschooling adventures and activities, for March and April, became extremely active, as we geared up for another busy polo season.

Murray John’s challenge is that he has to stay on top of his schoolwork, despite taking days off for golf practice and tournaments, as well as for polo practice.

As a result, we don’t adhere to traditional school holiday calendars but homeschool around our various life experiences and activities.

Murray John’s school days typically start at 5:30am. He studies until 10am, after which he heads off on his motorbike to work on the farm until the evening. Murray John just loves the flexibility of homeschooling, whilst holding down a farm job!

When the farming job ends, this is his fun time to ride his polo ponies or to water ski. -In order to have the energy to accomplish all these activities, he needs to be in bed by 8:30 pm!

Paula Joy’s Health.

We have, at last, made notable strides in getting to the bottom of Paula Joy’s health issues. She has been diagnosed with Vertebral Basilar Migraines and is now on constant medication.

Happily, we can see her health improving as her symptoms lessen. We trust that by mid-May, she will be able to resume her homeschooling and be able to engage in some sporting activities.

The past two months have been challenging for her, but she maintains a positive outlook and does her best, sometimes pushing herself too hard, which leads to days where she needs to just rest and sleep. We continue to pray for her full recovery…

Despite her health challenges Paula Joy did manage to paint a funky duck on the back of her polo helmet, in readiness for the polo season.

Wonderful Social Sundays!

In March and early April, we had several Sundays filled with gatherings of family and friends. We also connected with other farmers in the area.

With polo beginning in mid-April, our weekends will be occupied until the end of August, leaving us little time to host more social Sundays on the farm, until September.

Polo Mallet Repair Business.

Murray John has restarted his polo mallet repair business, as everyone needs their mallets fixed before the polo season starts. He has enlisted the help of Jimmy, our handyman, to assist with the repairs. This is an excellent opportunity for Murray John to make some extra money to buy his own polo mallets.

Horses.

The horses maintained their fitness regimen throughout March and April. They were all shod in early April, in preparation for our first polo practice at a nearby farm.

It was fantastic to have a short half-hour drive to polo practice, which is something we did not experience, before relocating to Marondera. Our first practice was hugely enjoyable and an awesome way to kick off the season.

The first polo tournament will take place during the first weekend of May. Murray John will ride Paula Joy’s horses as well as his own, to prepare them for her to play once she feels stronger.

Homeschooling Sports

Water-skiing.

Murray John has invested time in improving his water-skiing abilities, so he can now easily ski on one ski. With the dam right in front of our house, he often goes water skiing after his farm tasks.

Going tubing with friends is also a most enjoyable activity, which everyone loves. Paula Joy has become an experienced boat driver, having spending many summer hours driving around the dam, whilst others enjoyed the tubing and skiing.

In April, we borrowed a friend’s wakeboard, so that our children could try out a new water sport. Firstly, they needed to watch a few YouTube videos to see how to manage it.

We do appreciate modern technology and how it is helping our children teach themselves new skills.

Golf.

Murray John had been working hard to reduce his handicap to below 5, in order to qualify for the Zimbabwe Junior Golf Open at the end of April. He managed to accomplish this, despite only being able to play once a week, in Harare or Marondera.

Murray John took part in two tournaments in April. The first was the SA Kids Golf Tournament, where he finished third in his age group.

The second tournament was the Zimbabwe Junior Golf Open, which he really enjoyed. It was a very valuable experience, on a very challenging course. As he played a group of us enjoyed strolling around the course, watching him in action.

Murray John did well, but he aims to perform better. As he can compete in this tournament until he turns 19 years old, there’s plenty of time for him to get near the top of the leader board!

As the polo season begins, he will keep playing golf whenever we are in Harare. Paula Joy intends to resume playing golf in May, which will allow them to practice together again.

Homeschooling Adventures:

Farm Life.

Persistent Rain.

Due to the abundant rain, resulting in a total of 1200 mms for the season, the farm dams had reached full capacity by the end of March!

This is well above average and it is fantastic to have full dams again, which hasn’t occurred for several years. Douglas can now confidently plant a substantial barley crop of 450 hectares, along with an extra 100 hectares of wheat.

Tobacco reaping and curing.

The heavy rains caused the tobacco crop to mature too quickly, leading to a lower yield, which was disappointing. The tobacco curing wrapped up early, followed by a hectic few months of grading and transporting the crop to auction.

By the end of April, there were only a few weeks remaining before our large tobacco crop will be fully graded and sold. Unfortunately, as tobacco prices have decreased this year, plus the lower yield due to the rains, the farm faces a challenging financial situation.

Maize Harvest and Barley Planting.

The maize harvest began in mid-April. This is Murray John’s favourite season, as he gets to operate the large combine for many hours at a time. He enjoys checking the moisture of the maize, both before and after it goes through the dryer.

With school ending by 10 am each day, he has plenty of time to work on the farm and gain valuable life skills. I really enjoy listening to him, watching him learn, as well as seeing his drone videos of the various farming activities.

At the same time as the maize is being harvested, the barley is now being planted into the former tobacco and maize fields. It is Murray John’s responsibility to set up the GPS system on the planting tractor and to ensure everything is functioning properly.

Zimbabwe Economics.

I find it hard to comprehend how our fuel prices soared by an astonishing 34% in April, whilst other countries in the region saw an increase of only 4%!

As a nation, we have become extremely costly, which significantly raises economic concerns for the future as we, as a country, are forced to reduce our spending once more!

Travel:

Aberfoyle, Hondi Valley, in the Eastern Highlands.

The family travelled to attend a close family wedding, which was held at Aberfoyle Lodge in the Eastern Highlands. It took us six long hours to drive from Marondera to the Lodge, but it was worth it! Aberfoyle Lodge is stunning, as it is situated within a vast tea estate. The children camped at the Lodge, whilst we stayed at a nearby guest house.

We all enjoyed a marvellous wedding celebration weekend, with golf, river swimming, and volleyball thrown in!. We returned to our home with many happy memories from this remarkable weekend. If you’re looking for an action-filled family weekend, Aberfoyle Lodge is the perfect destination.

Conclusion.

March and April went by quickly with packed weeks and weekends. Watching Paula Joy’s health gradually improve on her medication has been the highlight of these months.

We eagerly anticipate her return to schoolwork and sports.

As we look ahead to May and June, we expect colder months filled with plenty of polo, alongside busy farming days.

As usual, we always look forward to many new adventures together…

God bless you all!

‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’ Philippians 4 vs6-7