Ashleigh Whaley
October Adventures and Activities.
October Activities:
Homeschooling.
Moving house.
October seemed to fly by with the mammoth task of moving house, whilst still playing polo and homeschooling!
Two weeks off school.
The children loved the adventure of moving house, as they got to take two weeks off school, to help me complete the task.
With the wheat harvest and tobacco planting in full swing, Douglas had enough on his hands, so it was up to myself and the children to move.
With the added pressure of my chronic fatigue viral illness, both Paula Joy and Murray John had to really step up and help. They both spend hours loading trailers, removing hooks from walls, and packing boxes etc.
New house adventure.
It took a full two weeks to get the moving job done. Now comes the slow job of repairing the new house, whilst getting it to resemble a well-loved family home. This will be a long term project and one the children will be actively involved in.
The goal is for them to learn about renovating a new home and garden. This is an awesome educational adventure and one we shall all enjoy as a family.
So far the children have learnt how to paint, use an angle grinder, remove carpets, dig out a pond, clean drains and hang pictures and curtains. They have both furnished and decorated their own rooms, fixed things and made their beds! What an education!
Mum’s chronic fatigue.
Due to having chronic viral fatigue I am having to continually pace myself, which has resulted in everything having to be done at a slow pace. Something that is very new to my character! With continued prayer, my health is slowly improving and I am able to achieve more.
It has been a tiring month, having to move whilst feeling so weak, but the children have been amazing. I set up my command centre in the lounge of the new house, sat down and directed all moving activities from there!
Finally, when all was done, we had our first tea party with visitors…
We ended the month back in school. There are now only a few weeks left, before our school year ends. The children have worked extremely hard and are so looking forward to their long end of year break.
Homeschooling Friends.
The furry friends have not been forgotten and the town chickens and guinea fowl have been moved to their new home.
Homeschooling Art.
Learning to renovate.
Art and crafts this month was removing hooks, dismantling beds, and learning how to pack a lorry, like a jigsaw puzzle. The children worked at night, right up until bed time, then began again in the early mornings… They made sure that we had everything moved on time.
Once into the new house, a huge rain storm arrived, resulting in everyone having to clean out blocked drains, in the pouring rain. A panic event we will not forget!
November will see more painting and other projects completed.
Horses.
Polo weekends.
We travelled to Harare, each weekend, to play summer polo. Due to my illness I was unable to help with the weekend preparations. The children spent their Friday mornings, before school, organising the horses and packing all the polo kit.
One weekend Douglas’s brother came and joined in the polo. He so enjoyed playing with his brother and the children, which made it a real family affair.
We often play ‘three a side’ polo , which is a wonderful way to learn and a good way to bring on younger ponies. Both children’s polo has improved hugely over the past month and they are now able to read the game so much better.
We shall continue to play weekly until the rains arrive.
Farm jumping.
Back on the farm Paula Joy spent time improving her show jumping skills, as we have a show in late November.
Homeschooling Sports.
This we did not do, due to the move and my illness. We shall catch up at a later date.
October Adventures:
Farm Life.
Wheat Harvest.
October is wheat harvesting month. The combine arrives and it’s all go to get the crop in before the summer rains arrive.
Murray John gets so excited when the combine arrives! He rushes through his school work, in order to head off to drive the combine. Paula Joy also got to drive the combine, which she enjoyed, but not to the same extent as Murray John…
Dam swimming.
October is a very hot month on the farm so the children often head off in the afternoons, to swim in one of the dams.
Zimbabwe Economy.
Inflation continues to rise and, with added power cuts, it is certainly a very challenging time for everyone. However, Zimbabweans are tough and have survived many difficulties before.
Environmental Awareness.
Two giraffe and a lone African buffalo arrived on the farm this month. They were very shy so it was difficult to spot them. The children went hiking through the bush to see the giraffe, but stayed well away from the buffalo! By the end of the month the buffalo had moved on, or gone back to where it came from.
We ended the month experiencing hot summer days and we now look forward to good summer rain.
‘We always thank God for our daily blessings…’
“The Lord refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake.” Psalm 23:3.
Please leave a comment below……
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