Unschooling James and Adam

     Right after James' 7th birthday, we started our pursuit to learn more about organic farming, so this post took a little less than a year of delay. But as they say, it's better late than never! This time, I really think it is, because it is worth sharing. This was a Ninjago Party we (my husband, mom, and siblings) lovingly prepared for our special celebrant, James.      Traditionally, 7th birthdays in the Philippines mark a significant milestone for a child. I think because it's the school-age for most children and it's a time to say goodbye to being a little girl or boy. Typically, parents who can afford elaborate parties would celebrate this stage in the life of a child with catered food, magic shows, and around a hundred guests in expensive party places. Some would avail party packages in fast food restaurants instead, to avoid a stressful and time-consuming preparations.      But as whole life unschoolers, we tend to go against th...

One of the greatest joys I found living in the farm is harvesting fresh produce(planting them is on top of my list too!) and turning them into yummy dishes. Adam and James had a chance to harvest some peanuts and eggplants and learned how to weigh them. We all enjoyed some peanuts for snacks and eggplants for dinner! The whole family is learning a lot of practical skills and even some practical Math! We also learned how to make one of the many kinds of rice cakes(Adam's favorite!) wrapped in banana leaves.

Daddy had to run some errands and decided to bring the boys with him on a motorcycle since they will only take the roads that pass through rice fields. I had to submit a picture of my collage for my online art class and listen to this week's video lectures. These little ladies from the neighborhood were my company. The boys came past lunch and were very excited to share the news that they played some video games in a computer shop and had some cold drinks. Daddy on the other hand explained their late return which is due to some troubles with the motorcycle. He was thankful that some farmers and tricycle drivers gave him a hand and that James and Adam were good companions.

Since it's Sunday, we spent some family time with our "adoptive family" in a river for swimming and a feast. Ninya introduced us to Lakay Resort that boasts a natural pool made by collecting the flowing river water into a trap made with stones and sacks of sands. It was definitely a refreshing day! James and Adam had a wonderful time playing, splashing, and swimming with Joy, Keira, and Ninya. Our lunch prepared by Ate Eden included Chicken Adobo, Roasted Eggplant Salad, Chow Mein, Grilled Tilapia, rice cakes, "nilupak" (ground cassava with peanut butter, sugar, and margarine), mangoes, and duhat. A bamboo raft made swimming in the river more fun! James enjoyed floating with the help of recycled pet bottles as floaters. Adam enjoyed the aqua massage provided by the strong current of water coming from the natural pool. We saw some cute little ducklings swimming in the shallow part of the river. Damselflies made our day even more magical!...

We were lucky to catch Tito Boy and Tita Lolit on their carabao and the boys were able to try another new farm experience. Adam was a little scared but James rode the carabao with Tito Boy all the way to their home. Their cart was brimming with sacks full of rice bran, which they will burn and use as organic fertilizer. In Tito Boy's farm, the boys, together with Keira, Amira, and Yesha joined other kids in catching baby goats and petting them.

Our trip to Mindoro is not just another vacation. Our main intention is to immerse our family in a farming lifestyle and learn as much as we can as apprentices. We were fortunate that Kuya Jon, the father and main farmer of the Sarmiento family conducted a two-day training and farm tour and allowed us to participate. Delegates from United Nations and Bangladesh were present and they made our learning experiences even richer.  Learning about issues, strategies, and systems with and from farmers, leaders, and entrepreneurs. The farm tour gave us more visual and hands-on experiences. My first attempt in building something that includes a hammer! I made some labels for the trees that the delegates planted to set off the carbon footprint they produced when they traveled to the farm.

It's my(Mommy) third time and our family's second time in Sarmiento residence/Kuatro Maria's Farm in Mindoro. The first time was very memorable for us and we've been dreaming to come back since we left. Here are some of the first few memories I captured with our iPod: As soon as James, Adam, and Keira were up, they fetched some organic eggs from native hens and visited the barn that houses the pigs. Keira led the boys to the future fish pond that surrounds the rice field. Crossing the bamboo pole was challenging but they were able to figure out how to make it work. Mud was not a problem because a huge drum awaits and the farm is blessed with the abundance of free-flowing water! 

One of the adventurous things about going to Mindoro is commuting via four types of transportation. From home, we took a jeepney, transferred to a bus going to Batangas port, then took a ferry (commonly known as Roro) going to Calapan port, transferred to another bus going to the town of Victoria, and finally, took a tricycle to San Narciso. Bonding time in the bus going to Batangas Pier We took the 4PM trip and was able to enjoy the sunset. James and I saw a dolphin made about 4 jumps, too bad Adam missed it :(