Wednesday 5 June 2013

kaleidoscope

So amid the cartwheel that ended with an egg on the head.
And the story that was only a couple of pages from completion and couldn't be found beneath the piles of books in the craft cupboard.
And the three weeks worth of fluff, dust and other interesting carpet remnants as we wait for parts to fix our  broken vacuum.
And the fish I forgot to cook smelling guiltily ( and quite smellily) from the dustbin.
And the crackers and cheese with random, half chopped, half hacked salady bits and pieces I threw together as lunch because one little toddler was too busy to go for a nap and too tired to be put down.
And the chrysalis that fell from it's sticky, silky thread and the tears you wept "because it was so small and it trusted us" :(
And the sudden sobs as I brushed your babyish curls because Matilda is your best friend and your big sis and she looks after you at rainbows, and helps you write your name on your pictures is moving up to Brownies today.

Within the scribbled margins, along the wobbly edges and right in the messy middle comes this too...  

 

 
She's telling me to take a picture of  the butterfly she found
here.





 Life is a kaleidoscope. 
Always changing.
Always colourful.
And there is intense beauty
 Despite that
and because of that.

linking with Emily

12 comments:

  1. i love this. love. it. beautiful.

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  2. What a beautiful pictures, I really love it. So sweet and a beautiful garden!

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  3. Gorgeous, you do have beautiful girls :) x

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  4. Ahh, what lovely photos, prose, and sense of quiet wonder. It relaxes me to peak into your sunshiny yard with you and your kids.

    Nice to meet you. I'm hopping over from the IP link up.

    Jennifer Dougan
    www.jenniferdougan.com

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  5. sigh. i just love visiting here. i love feeling like we're drinking lemonade in your backyard. what a lovely home, what a beautiful family!

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  6. oh, this is so lovely in word and in photos. Gorgeous. So glad I visited from IP.

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  7. hi, im a teenager from the manning valley, and i absolutely love your website! my parants have been thinking about home schooling me and my sister but dont realy know wich way to turn, i know our girls are still fairly little but i was wondering what your advice would be on homeschooling teens.thanks, jess.

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  8. hi, im a teenager from the manning valley, and i absolutely love your website! my parants have been thinking about home schooling me and my sister but dont realy know wich way to turn, i know our girls are still fairly little but i was wondering what your advice would be on homeschooling teens.thanks, jess.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Jess, thank you so much for your comment :)
      I have a 15 year old girl, Emmy :) So only one teen at the moment!
      She is very self directed and manages her own schedule. She is interested in different things such as poetry, piano, cadets, scouting, outdoorsy stuff such as bushcraft and scouting. She spends most of her days working on these activites.
      I think the key thing is to find the things you would really like to do and pursue them. For academic careers I would advise taking GCSE's or the American Sat equivalent, or making up your own portfolio of schoolwork and scheduling an interview at your local college for a 6th form place where you can take your A levels or do an access course.
      Many practical, vocational college courses don't require much in the way of GCSE's anyway.
      Open University is another great way to get an academic qualification from home. I don't know if you're based in the U.K or whether there would be an equivalent distance learning Uni where you are.
      Volunteering in your local community and doing lots of work experience are all positives for your CV and they also help you to network. Many jobs are not even advertised so getting out and about is a great way to make real, authentic relationships with potential employers.
      Cadets and Scouts are a good way to get different certificates and qualifications.
      Emmy is hoping to teach piano, sometime next year onces she's finished her theory. This will be good because it's way for her to earn some money doing something she loves while building on her skills. Any kind of skillset that you can eventually use for teaching is good.
      She is also taking an Open Uni course next year and will be getting quite a few B tec type qualifications through cadets and scouts. She is learning programming through a free online programming course as she does one day a week work experience in the IT dep of a local business. She is hoping to voluteer at a school for students with special needs in the next few months because she eventually wants to take a social science degree through the OU and work with children who have special needs, combining music therapy and nature therapies.
      I know that it can be daunting to take the less conventional path. I honestly can't say I have all the answers, but I do trust that there is a right path for everyone and part of this journey is finding the one that is right for you alone :)
      I wish you all the luck in your schooling whichever path you take :)
      xx
      btw my daughter Emmy would be more than happy to communicate with you through my e-mail address if you have any specific questions!

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  9. Having had an up and down week, with moments of beauty dispersed, I love this post. The words and the images. Yes.

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I treasure each and every one of your comments.
Your kind words never fail to bring a smile to my face:)
At the moment I am going through a busy season of life with 5 girls under my wing! I may not always be able to respond immediately but please know that every word left here is read and appreciated deeply.
xx