Introducing Nadene

This post is written for our latest SACH’s

(South Africa Carnival of Homeschooling) Carnival.

The topic is

“Interviewing You!”

Strangely, this is the second interview we had this past week.  Since our family business launched just 3 weeks ago, it has been like a flood gate opened and the calls, emails, inquiries and orders flow in daily.  We have had to change our answering machine’s message and have trained all the kids how to answer the phone “professionally”!

Landbou Weekblad, a national Afrikaans farmer’s magazine, sent a journalist to interview us and take photos for an article in their upcoming publication.  The journalist insisted on presenting our “personal story” and asked questions about how we came to live on our very remote farm and what led to our Lucerne Tree business.

He even took a rare family photo with all our kids!  Our eldest son was here on a visit at the time and is possibly the first complete family photo since 2010. (I confess that this photo we took and emailed to him because his photo was “embarrassing” to most of the family!)

So much for our family avoiding publicity!

Here then is my interview … with myself [giggle]

Brief Bio

1. your and your spouse’s names – Nadene and Myles
   
2. your children’s names and ages –Step-sons Myles (24) and Zahn (21), our daughters Tess (17), Kate (12) and Lara (9)
3. how long you’ve been homeschooling for – about 13 years … ever since I had my kids … it has always been in my heart!
4. whereabouts in South Africa you live – on top of a mountain in the Klein Karoo, Western Cape, an hour’s drive from George.

We homeschool because …

When my first child was born, I still held a permanent post at a public school and planned to return to teaching after my year’s leave.

But at 9 days old, my new little baby was stricken by meningitis and all those plans changed.  The illness changed her, me.  I learned that her brain was injured and her right side was affected.  My commitment to her recovery and treatment was foremost in my heart and mind.

I had always been one of ‘those’ moms ~ attached parenting, breast-feeding, sling-wearing, natural-eating … and homeschooling fitted in with my passion and vision.  So I homeschooled her with 2 other moms.  We learnt so much and loved our times together.  Read the post I wrote in honour of these precious friends and our journey into homeschooling.

Five Favourites! The things I most like to …

1. see…  my hubby walking toward the house for tea with us, the majestic mountains and panoramic views from my windows, my children playing outside, my chickens pecking happily, the house fresh and clean after we’ve cleaned it, our sheep dogs running the sheep towards the kraal with such energy and excitement, a bunch of flowers in a vase that one of my daughters placed to bring joy, my son bounding out to work with vision and purpose …
   
2. hear … my girls singing, their giggles, music, Blue Cranes calling as they fly, Cape Weavers in full song in our trees, rains on the roof in the dry season, frothy milk as it jets into the milk pail, ewes responding to little lambs calling …
   
3. smell … fresh-baked bread first thing in the morning, lavender, roses and my gardenia bush in bloom, chocolate cake, fresh-cut lawns, soups and stews simmering in my AGA stove, molasses and ground corn in our cow’s feed, shampoo and soap on my youngest daughter’s skin when I kiss her goodnight …
   
4. taste … chocolate, coffee, carrots fresh-pulled from my garden, fresh fruit, our crystal-clear mountain water, food from our veggie patch, home-made butter with Himalayan salt, honey and cayenne pepper tea first thing in the morning …
   
5. touch … my hubby’s hugs, my kid’s kisses, cuddles and snuggles, satin, silk, swims in the dam on a hot summer day, cool breezes in our Karoo heat, hot showers and my electric blanket in winter
   

 This year I hope to … 

Grow … be more Christ-like

Live in grace … especially towards my older daughters

Find balance … in our work, schooling, fun and fellowship

You are welcome to comment or ask more questions in the comments.

Blessings,