Our Homeschooling Adventures and Activities for May and June 2025.

Our Homeschooling Adventures and Activities:

Homeschooling Activities:

Homeschooling.

Our Homeschooling adventures and activities during May and June was quite chaotic, due to all the traveling between Harare and Macheke, where our horses are kept.

We also spent three weeks in Chinhoyi with the horses. As a result, we had to focus on smaller academic goals and find a way to organize our homeschooling around the various activities.

Our homeschooling Activity. Doing school in the tack room tent.

Birthdays.

Murray John and I celebrate our birthdays in May and June. This year Murray John turned 14, and he is now taking charge of his academic goals.

our homeschooling activity Granny's 80th Birthday.

Granny Pam also celebrated her 80th birthday in May. The children assisted with the preparations for her party and put in a lot of effort on this special day, making sure that everyone enjoyed a wonderful celebration. We truly cherish family gatherings where we come together to honour various milestones.

ADMA Show.

The annual ADMA show is our major agricultural event that lasts for three days. This year the children expressed interest in working at the show to gain additional experience. Murray John decided to work at a tractor stand, where he assisted in selling a range of tractors from small to large, as well as TLBs. He found the experience enjoyable and learned how to serve others in a sales role.

Although Paula Joy couldn’t work full time, due to health reasons, she was able to manage a barista station at one of the larger stands, for one afternoon, which she thoroughly enjoyed. For both children it was a great opportunity to learn about serving others, whilst learning to better understand the workplace.

Paula Joy’s Health.

Paula Joy faced ongoing health challenges throughout May and June. She devoted much of her time to sleeping and resting, yet did manage to participate in some sports during the weekends. Paula Joy has had to teach herself to pay attention to her body and to manage her energy. We are gradually uncovering the underlying cause of her condition, which is Functional Neurological Disorder (FND). However, we believe that she is being healed, thanks to continued prayer and healthy choices.

PAZ Polo Tournament Preparations.

Both kids were key players in the successful execution of the PAZ Championship Tournament at Umzari Polo Club.

Their dedication and enthusiasm in helping to organize and run the event was truly commendable. It is a valuable skill for kids to learn how to plan and manage events. They not only contributed to the smooth functioning of the tournament but also gained important life skills that will serve them well in the future. It was heartwarming to witness their involvement and growth through this experience.

Homeschooling Pets.

We are heartbroken to share that our cherished cat, Seb, has passed away, due to old age and the fact that he could no longer eat.

Seb has been a part of our family since Paula Joy was born. Once Murray John arrived, Seb chose to be Murray John’s devoted companion, following him around everywhere. Thank you, Seb, for being such a wonderful friend to Murray John and for bringing so much love into our family.

Horses.

May and June are always quite hectic, with Polo tournaments every other weekend, along with practices in between. Preparing the horses for each tournament requires significant effort, as does transporting them between the farm, where they reside, and Harare.

Sambok Tournament.

Sambok marked the inaugural polo tournament, kicking off the polo season with an enjoyable weekend. The kids participated by assisting with the preparations. Since Paula Joy was not feeling her best, she could only participate in the development division, where her team came out on top.

Hillcrest Derby.

Paula Joy found the energy to take part in the Hillcrest Derby with her talented horses, Ollie and Jenny. Both horses performed excellently at the derby.

Jenny gained valuable experience at the lower 80cm level, whilst Ollie tackled the 110cm classes. Paula Joy had a great time and always enjoys the challenge of competing over Derby courses.

Lady Malvern Tournament.

The Lady Malvern Polo tournament, the oldest polo tournament in Zimbabwe, takes place annually in Harare.

It was an excellent weekend! Paula Joy once again helped a development team that emerged victorious.

Paula and the youngsters winning the tournament.

PAZ Champs Tournament.

This year, the PAZ Champs took place in Chinhoyi, so we moved the horses there for three weeks, in order to have a few practice sessions before and after the tournament. Paula Joy was finally fit enough to compete in the B division, where her team succeeded in defeating her brother and father’s team.

Homeschooling Adventures:

Farm Life.

Baling.

We frequently take breaks from school, during the winter, to bail hay for the horses. In June, we bought a small baler, which Murray John has learned to operate, so he is now responsible for bailing the hay, as needed.

Since we don’t have a large farm ourselves, we took a few days off to visit friends on a big farm in Raffengora. This gave Murray John the opportunity to work on a farm, and we all got to observe the crop sprayer as it sprayed the vast wheat field.

Travel.

Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe

our homeschooling adventure at the chinhoyi caves

Our horses are currently located six hours away from Chinhoyi, so we chose to relocate the horses to Chinhoyi, for three weeks of polo. The Umzari Polo Club was our home club in the past, so we thought it would be a great opportunity to practice there before and after the PAZ Champs tournament. The kids once again assisted with the tournament preparations. Paula Joy took care of all the club decorations, whilst Murray John managed the ground preparations. They also assisted in the organisation of the tournament and provided commentary on the matches.

We finally had the chance to explore the Chinhoyi Caves, where we marvelled at the stunning pools of turquoise blue water. It is truly one of Zimbabwe’s wonders and a destination very worth experiencing. We had a great time enjoying Chinhoyi’s warmer weather and reconnecting with friends, which made the experience even more enjoyable.