Hello there, shall we sit and have a cuppa?
Today was Henry's first day of school. He looked so very smart in his button-up shirt and shorts. His too big school back slung on his back and a big confident smile across his little face. I have had to pack him 'school lunches' the last few days as he has been so excited. He told me this morning that the kids might still be learning to make friends but if he is friendly and kind they will want to be his friend so that's all he has to do. Simple.
That kid.
He melts my heart on a daily basis.
I cannot believe I have entered a period of parenting where I have no little ones at home. I am proud and sad all at once. I love having my kids with me. It is oh so hard and by golly, I can get grumpy and frustrated by the total lack of space along with the constant noise. But I also know this season of young children is fleetingly precious. Where we are all so close. I'm often surrounded by a tangle of little bodies, wrestling, and sweet cuddles. Right now they need their Mama. There are problems to solve, tears to wipe and tummies to fill. There are books to read, teddies to snuggle and right now we are each other's whole world. Though it can be incredibly challenging I love it deeply. Soon this will change, it is the natural order of things. I see it in Will as he enters the 'tween' age. He still needs us very much, but he drifts a little further away each time before he draws in close again. We will always be his roots, but I can see him slowly finding his wings.
Henry and Will have taken this move into their stride. There have been wobbles and hiccups yes, but all in all, they are doing great. Angus, on the other hand, is not. He is an absolute ball of anxiety and as a result, he is melting down over everything little thing. He loves the farm, being with his family and the swimming hole but school is so very difficult for him. He is trying his hardest, and the school is wonderfully supportive. They are going to get someone to come and do some assessment on him to put some supports in place. Together all the adults in his life are helping him the best we can and though it is utterly heartbreaking to watch him struggle, I am glad to know we are not alone in this.
As hard as this is, I know he will come out with new coping skills and more resilient in the long run if we can support him through this. For the only constant in life is the fact it changes, often in ways, we would not choose. To learn how to process and adapt to change is a life long skill.
It is, however so very hard to watch. Some days I wonder if we have made a terrible mistake pushing him so far out of his comfort zone. I wonder if I should be homeschooling him. The mama bear in me wants to wrap him up and take away all the worries that plague his little body. But it is early days. Deep breaths and one step at a time. In the end, I find peace in knowing we will do whatever it takes, in the long run, to make sure learning is a positive experience for him.
Among all the changes I relish carving out a little time for myself to fill my own tank. Today I woke well before the boys so the dogs and I went for a little walk around the farm. The beauty here is astounding. Apparently, it is very dry for this time of the year and some of the plants are showing signs of stress due to the soil being so dry.
I have been contemplating doing something along the lines of an ultra-frugal year and calling it "Our families year of less to discover more." Where we would embrace extreme frugality in the desire to move us towards a greener more sustainable lifestyle. It would be an allocated period (6 months or a year?) where we embrace ultra frugality. Choosing to either thrift, upcycle or make all the things we need. There would be a few exceptions like underwear, underclothes, and socks. It would also include embracing as many free outings as possible, packing picnics and exploring what free activities our new district offers. We would extend the challenge of setting up our yurt using salvaged and second-hand materials where possible though things like paint, fittings, electrical etc would have to be an exception due to safety issues. I think it could be a really fun challenge for our family, and sharing the financial figures here might be really helpful to others wanting to make changes to the way they do things.
Fast fashion, fast furniture, 'keeping up with the Jones' and excess consumerism and the impact it all has on both our environment and happiness have been very much on my heart for a long time and I absolutely admit to falling into the trap of buying new because it is easier at times. We have made a lot of changes to our life which is awesome, but there is more I would like to do. With Henry in school now and I have a little more time to really hunt about and really explore some of the things I have always wanted to embrace more wholeheartedly. One of my long term desires for this blog is for it to be a reference point for other people/families wanting to live more simply and perhaps even feel empowered to take a leap of faith and live out their own dreams of off-grid living.
I wonder if this would be something you would be interested in reading about? Or if you have some ideas or guidelines you think I should include?
Much love,
Emma
xx
