Fall

Today I am looking forward to Fall and a new school year. It has been a hot and humid summer here in the Midwest and I welcome the changing of the leaves, cooler days with windows flung open, apple cider, pumpkins and crisp evenings.

We've received our Christopherus Second Grade materials for Caden and are busy making plans and looking at the year ahead. Logan will be in First this year and I am hoping to create a seamless school year with a fusion of First Grade and Second Grade for the two older boys. Britton just turned 5 and Isabel will be 4 in September. We're looking at a year of rhythm, play, handwork, crafts and reading!

Today I am tidying up September plans/rhythm and I hope to post them just as soon as I tack them down. Apples, Michaelmas, Rosh Hashanah and, most importantly, a 4th birthday! So much to look forward to!

Strawberry Season

Morning Sun

"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience."

    Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Mardis Gras

Mardis Gras 2011

The kids danced with beads, made their own masks and made our favorite craft - the tissue paper lantern - in Mardis Gras colors. Grandma joined us and brought colorful hurricanes for sparkling apple juice.

B is still wearing his mask this morning.

Color at the table.

L shows off his creation.

My silly girl.

C and Grandma Barb

The hats

I am a knitter. I can say that now. I am a very new knitter, but one nevertheless. It is so incredibly satisfying to finish a project, to sit back and watch the ones you love the very most put on a new hat and feel the love that comes with that. And while I'm knitting? Well, that's peace and calm. I'm clicking those needles and prayerfully meditating on the very one for which the gift is being made. The finished project is the prayer materialized. Love.

I've made one of these Pointy Elf Hats from More Last-Minute Knitted Gifts for each of my children. They are far from perfect, but they are loved. My first hats!

I knitted them in green for Saint Paddy's Day. My little Irish elves.

I hope they hold up to all the rough and tumble play of my boys and the near-constant accessorizing of my sweet girl. Off and on. Rinse and repeat a thousand times.

Now I've got several yarn resources bookmarked on my computer. Wool, rasta, chunky, rainbow, archangel, solis? Yes, please!             



February Learning

 Presidents

 Yoga break. Love this.

 Science

 Math

 Supplies

 Crafty

 Finding

 Practicing

 Digging

Games

Light

Live in rooms full of light.  ~Cornelius Celsus

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering.
There is a crack in everything,
That's how the light gets in.
~Leonard Cohen



Projects

 I've had a little project on my mind for a long time, but wasn't exactly sure how to execute my plans. Enter a morning full of coffee and a strong winter time desire to rearrange my furniture and we now have an antique door table/desk. It involved me dragging up an oh--million!-- pound door from the basement and taking desk supports right from under the boys' fish tank table (It is still stable. Phew! say the fish and the mama).

It's really lovely and is exactly what I wanted to hold some things. Things like a mug of pens, a few picture frames, homeschool books, my camera, sometimes my computer, fresh oranges, hundreds of special drawings on any given day and supplies for the kids' projects. Oh, and green juice in a wine glass! It is old and it is far from perfect, but I love it.

 The little people kept themselves busy with their own projects of building, drawing and painting...

This boy helped me paint a chair. He was very deliberate and careful and didn't get it anywhere else except for that spot on his head. So very sweet.

Everyday for us is full of projects big and small. I really enjoy these slow winter moments filled with creative happenings.





Thursday

Thursday was...

{Admiring L's  work}

 {Morning coffee and computer time}

{Making homemade granola with B. His footie jammies were on inside out and fully zipped. Made me laugh. I have no idea how he got them zipped, but he couldn't get them unzipped without help.}

 {Making green juice with C}

 {Kid approved}



{Mama, too}

{Sending L out to look for eggs}

{Chickens offer us a few even in this cold winter-yay!}

{L helps with Jamaican pumpkin soup.}

{Mama needs a moment :)}

{Making things from this book}

{A beautiful view of the sun setting out our back door}

Overall, a cozy day spent at home making, doing, and reading. You just can't ask for a better day. To bed early with thoughts of another cozy day Friday.