Imogen's videos - Page 2

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What Unschoolers Miss Out On

Have you ever started the school term with loads of enthusiasm and excitement? Perhaps you’ve thought, “This term is going to be perfect!” Even though last term wasn’t. And the one before that also ended with a fizzle instead of a bang. I remember many school terms that began with hope and ended with relief. Oh yes, during the holidays…
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My Perfect Christmas Present Secret

Have you got piles of presents hidden in your bedroom waiting for Christmas Day? I have. Except they’re not really hidden. They’re scattered around my room in the most inconvenient of places. I keep tripping over them. It took me a long time to buy all my gifts. And a lot of effort. To be honest, I don’t like Christmas…
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Bob Blogosphere Discovers Imogen Elvis

The phone rings. “Hello?” “Sue!” A deep smooth voice from the past hits my ear. “Bob!” It’s Bob Blogosphere, the most powerful man in the blogosphere. He’s famous for his deep and probing interviews. He’s the man behind Blogosphere News. “Sue, I’ve been browsing your blog.” “My blog?” I ask. “Why?” “Well, normally, I wouldn’t bother with your blog. But I was…
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Making an Aussie Bush Christmas Tree

A few days ago, we were planning my daughter Imogen’s latest music video. “I’m singing a Christmas carol. Where do you think we should film the video?” “We could put up our Christmas tree early and film it inside.” “I bet most people would do that. We should do something different.” “We could film the video at the nature reserve…
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How Introverts Aren’t Necessarily Shy

Introverts aren’t shy. At least we’re not. Yes, we’re an introverted family. The whole lot of us. This is rather nice because we understand each other perfectly. Outsiders often don’t. When we’re at a gathering, especially if there’s a crowd, we might be quiet and reserved. We’re out of our environment. We don’t feel comfortable. And people might say, “Join…
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How We Can Trust Kids and Dogs

We look up from our cameras to see two lean and muscular dogs racing towards us. They grin and circle around us before disappearing along the bush track.  A tall man appears. He pushes his long curly hair behind his ears as he says, “Good morning! You’re up early.” We nod. “It’s a beautiful morning,” we say as we look…
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Grateful

It’s Father’s Day. We head to the car with a picnic basket. We’re going to the river. “I hope we get a picnic table,” I say. “Maybe everyone will be celebrating Father’s Day at the river.” But they’re not. When we arrive at the riverside park, it’s almost deserted. Two families and us. We look at the seven empty picnic…
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How Sharing Interests Strengthens Family Bonds

The other evening, I scrolled through my Youtube feed looking for something to watch. I clicked a link, a video loaded, and I heard these words: “Early one morning, just as the sun was rising, I went to the weir,  to record a Youtube clip.” I listened as my husband Andy sang his made-up song in a strange broad accent.…
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Learning from Life, Record-Keeping, and Strewing

Last week, life was very busy. And even though there was no time for such things as ‘school’, we had a week jam-packed with learning. By the time Friday rolled around, I had an equally jam-packed unschool records book. Yes, notes were spilling out of my Evernote notebook, and our heads were buzzing with all the things we’d learned. In…
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Unschooling Siblings Working Together

My daughter Imogen’s latest music video features her three younger siblings, Charlotte, Sophie, and Gemma-Rose. The four girls sing the Enya song, Wild Child. When I watch this video, it’s not the singing that I enjoy the most. I’m not thinking, “Oh wow! Aren’t my girls talented?” Yes, the singing is okay (and I guess it needs to be if…
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Choosing Not to Worry About What Other People Might Think

When you’re looking for photos of yourself to post on your blog or Facebook page, do you ever reject any? And if you do, what don’t you like about them? I often reject photos that show too many of my wrinkles. “That one makes me look old,” I say.  I also don’t like photos of myself with uncomfortable smiles. They…
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It’s Not a Periscope 3: A Bush Walk

A sunny almost-winter afternoon. I’m taking Nora the dog for a walk. We’re heading down to the bush at the end of our road. Would you like to come too? I have to warn you: I’m a fast walker. And how do you feel about running up a steep hill? Will you dash across a playing field with me? Sound…
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