Real Lives: Eleven teenagers who don't go to school tell their own stories (edited by Grace Llewellyn). A fabulous read finding out how home education pans out further down the track. The cool thing is that the edition that I have also gives an update from teh contributing teens when they are in their 20s. Loving it so far.

hehe - that is her fabulous hair Sweetpea!

That's really funky! I will give it a go with the kids as an experiment...

Yes - this is the first time I have shifted into a house with absolutely no garden whatsoever...it is wonderful having a blank slate to work with...goodbye lawn!! Whenever I think back on all of the gardens I have created (and wish that I was enjoying the fruits of my labour) I hope that someone else is lovingly tending and reaping rewards 

I must take photos and post them up as it all takes shape...

Finally managed to get a reply from Mum - she has been busy and it has been weeks of phone tag! She found them in a dairy/greengrocer style shop that brings in a lot of food for those in cold chch more used to living in the sunny islands...she couldn't remember exactly where it was but gave the following description:

It is a wee dairy/greengrocer shop on Colombo St, Sydenham side, on the left hand side as you head towards the hills. It is in a brick building called Beverly's Buildings (?) and always has heaps of bananas and fruit outside.

Hope this helps!!!

just popping in to say that I am reading, just not getting the opportunity to post much...children very much neeeeeeding me right now, so I come and read the journals when I can. Love to y'all xxxxx

Wow - a whole week since I last checked in...I have been busy in the garden. A tribe of wild slugs demolished my seedlings that I have lovingly nurtured from little tiny seeds for the last month. I was devastated. So I have evicted the culprits (the ones I could find anyhow) and started from scratch again...

I have also built three more garden beds...one for greens and corn, one for watermelon, one for pumpkin. I'm not a fan of pumpkin, although I do prefer it raw to cooked, but it is mighty fun to grow and give away!

Angus and Isabella's garden beds are coming along nicely...I ended up having too remove all the broad bean plants that Angus had randomly planted throughout his strawberry patch as they were completely overtaking everything. Everything that boy touches turns to green gold!

Anyhow - back out into it and then going to play Mah Jong with the older two.

Neet, my brood is at three earthbound babes now. Isabella is nearly 10, Angus 4.5 and Wiremu 5 months. They are scrumptious!!!

He is great Neet - such a delight! The not-so-wee man (Angus - 4.5) has just gone to sleep naked inside one of my couch cushions...hilarious!!!

And yes, the difference is huge when I don't eat after 7pm - such a hard habit to break, but once I had cracked it the desire passed fairly quickly.

Hi all - thank you so much for your wonderful welcome back words! Looks like my wee man is teething in full force...I was up with him (pacing & jiggling) from 3am until 7am this morning as he struggles with his next lot of chompers. Feeling surprisingly good now - we both got some sleep from 7-10am.

Anyhow, I have been manifesting away - isn't it ASTOUNDING how quickly the Universe povides once you release the thoughts and energy surrounding your situation!

On a health level, I have been doing really well, as I said before, I have been doing health and fitness the F1 way and reaping the benefits...my area I'm focusing on this month is stopping eating at a set time - trying not to eat after 7pm...although I would prefer the time to be even earlier. Greg doesn't get home from work until after 6-6:30pm so if I were to not eat after 5pm then we would lose our family mealtime. It may happen in the next couple of months, and we can replace it with family time around another activity...hmmm....I'll think on that one. So far so good on no food after 7pm, with the biggest change being how I feel when I wake up - vibrant and refreshed (even after my broken sleep last night!) as opposed to feeling almost 'hungover' from eating at night. I like the idea of not consuming food after the sun has gone down...it always feels right for me when i do things by the sun/moon etc rather than a set time. I'm not too flash with keeping time...not into the whole linear thing.

Right, speaking of time, looks like some more pacing and jiggling is needed...

E tu, kia kaha,
Meg

Right, baby is asleep (getting more teeth already! got his first two at 3 months  ) so I can sneak a few seconds to myself for a bit more info...

Expanding on what I said before, reading through the controversial thread made me realise how passionate so many of us are about our choices and how defensive we are (myself included) when we get called on our areas that we are not yet prepared to change or go deeper into. I loved how everyone contributed so much of themselves and enjoyed so many enlightening (and some just light and happy) posts. I hang out in the virtual world a bit with F1 and he has indirectly and directly taught me so much about myself...my catchphrase just HAS to be NO EXCUSES!

I love doing my own thing, my own way. I have great respect for all of those who are out there doing their own thing their way. Right now, for whatever reason (I trust it will unfold further as I travel along) I feel the need to reach out and spend some time with other people who 'get' where I'm coming from. I'm a bit of a solo traveller so it is unusual for me to reach out, yet here I am.

Baby is awake again *sigh* I'll be back later to ruminate...

My mum gets them in chch...I'll ask her and get back to you!

Okay, so I have been tossing around clever names for a journal in my head because I am finding my way back to where I was before (with bells on) and decided that clear and simple is the best approach!

Anyhow - I'm not going to post too much right now, just setting up a journal space so that I will settle back into this loving raw community and share with my wonderful cyberspace friends. I have really enjoyed the wild ride that was 'Harley Says' (reading from start to finish over the last week) and for whatever reasons it has inspired me to set up a fresh journal.

  Love ya

Another one who enjoys reading your journal Neet, including the food and exercise details...I would like to order a body like yours, so all I need now is to find out how to get there...!

Wonderful to see you at Joss's online welcome back party Jen  - how is it all going???

I'm a bit late in joining the party.. but WELCOME BACK JOSS!!!!! I definitely missed you