Homesteading

“Why do farmers farm, given their economic adversities on top of the many frustrations and difficulties normal to farming? And always the answer is: "Love. They must do it for love." Farmers farm for the love of farming. They love to watch and nurture the growth of plants. They love to live in the presence of animals. They love to work outdoors. They love the weather, maybe even when it is making them miserable. They love to live where they work and to work where they live. If the scale of their farming is small enough, they like to work in the company of their children and with the help of their children. They love the measure of independence that farm life can still provide. I have an idea that a lot of farmers have gone to a lot of trouble merely to be self-employed to live at least a part of their lives without a boss.” 

~Wendell Berry, Bringing it to the Table: Writings on Farming and Food

Our little homestead is growing by leaps and bounds. Living in community we have the great gift of living among many farm animals; we care for them and in turn they provide for us. It has been our greatest dream to contribute to the provisions by having our own little team on our plot of land and this weekend, we began to see our dream to reality.

We welcomed six chicks into our family this weekend (along with the newcomers you'll meet below). Kiki adores them and has spent every waking moment tending to them, singing to them, holding them. For just three years old she has given us a glimpse into what amazing care she is capable of. Her tenderness, quiet, gentle devotion. It's almost like she goes to a meditative place while she is with these chicks.

We were also gifted this beautiful Lionhead bunny. While he won't necessarily produce anything akin to food or materials he has already produced a softening of heart, a smile within us all, a gentleness that we all needed after this long, long winter. His name is Little Lionheart.

This beautiful Black Sexlink is Beatrice. She is a wise old gal and happily and immediately made herself at home. She is gentle, sweet, and so far, has enjoyed begin carried about by various little hands. She also have us our first egg!

We have a Red Sexlink as well (her name is Ruby). It has been of utmost importance to her to figure out her new digs as she's feeling pretty broody. I found her nestled into the coop working on laying her first egg so I didn't want to disturb her with a photo op.

This is Max, our Rooster, and his lady love, Gwendolyn. She follows him everywhere. They are both still a bit nervous but have warmed up to us and have let us help them into the coop at night. Our coop is our old outdoor rabbit hutch, modified with nesting boxes and roosts to accommodate our brood. It will require a bit of assistance on our part to get them in and out of the coop, just until they're comfortable with the process on their own.

Our landscape is a beautiful one. The sheep add an element of olden days and when living off the land was how you survived. We're getting closer and closer to that place of self reliance. Our dream is not to live as if it were the 1800's but to embrace and accept our gifts and primal calling to be connected to  the land, to keep our children connected and focused on the sanctity of caring for and working the land, working with our hands, and allowing the realness of providing for ourselves to be at the forefront of how we build our home.

"The soil is the great connector of lives, the source and destination of all. It is the healer and restorer and resurrector, by which disease passes into health, age into youth, death into life. Without proper care for it we can have no community, because without proper care for it we can have no life.” 
~ Wendell Berry, The Unsettling of America: Culture and Agriculture

  

Being a Waldorf inspired home we are fortunate to live where we do. The daily tasks of tending to the animals, preparing the garden for the season, integrating the childrens daily play and rhythms into the ebb and flow of the natural world around them is so beautiful and unique. 

"As child, one has the magical capacity to move among the many eras of the earth; to see the land as an animal does; to experience the sky from the perspective of a flower or a bee; to feel the earth quiver and breathe beneath us; to know a hundred different smells of mud and listen unselfconsciously to the soughing of the trees." ~ Valerie Andrews, A Passion for this Earth

Chocolate and Shrove Tuesday

Sometimes chocolate is just a good idea. It comes in a variety of sweetness levels, satisfying the severest sweet tooth to just one that needs a lit kick in the pants and everything in between! We're working on lifting spirits here this week. After another week of "fever baby" we could all use a little lift, and so what if we use chocolate as a motivator?!

 

 

Luckily for me (and really, do I need an excuse?) Valentine's Day is this week and today just happens to be Fat Tuesday, perfect time to indulge a little and bring out the bulk chocolate that's been sitting in the freezer since Christmas! 

 

A few weeks ago I bought a few packages of dried fruits: cranberries, blueberries, cherries, and plums. My original intention was to bake with them but then I realized.....who doesn't love chocolate covered dried fruit? Chocolate covered raisins has always been a hit, maybe we could take a walk on the wild side and try something new! Thank goodness we're a fearless bunch because these are just simply divine!

 

The littles we're thrilled to get their hands in a plate full of melted chocolate. I didn't have my eye on them the whole time so I wonder how much actually made it on the plate as opposed to in their bellies :)

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Then there is always the cliche of chocolate covered strawberries.

 

As this is the start of the Lenten season, I feel a very strong pull to just let the spirit flow and do whatever it is that I'm being led to. I haven't always allowed myself that luxury, and well.....having five children can make that a wee bit challenging at times. Our Lenten journey is described well here in this older post; how we hold on to the reverence of this time and nourish our spiritual bodies. As I form a clearer picture of our current state as a family, I'm realizing that nourishment for our collective and individual selves is paramount. We've all had to sacrifice quite a bit as of late, it's time now to figure out how to manage the difficulties in our lives without sacrificing our family body. I am really quite inspired that all of this seems to be culminating at the time of Lent.

 

"I believe Lent is the time to work with what gets in our way - the obstacles to our desire to fulfill our destiny." ~ Lynn Jericho on the spiritual practices of Inner Lent.

 

You can read her full post about Inner Lent here.

 

How will you work with what gets in your way this Lenten season?

 

Wild One

 

We had a lovely mid-week visit from out of town family members and decided that a good way to spend a rainy, blustery winter day would be to take in the sights at the State Museum. Charlotte and her Papa had been there for a father/daughter date a few weeks ago so she already had some insight on exhibits she really wanted to show everyone. Kiki, however, hadn't been as a young lass so she was quite eager to explore this new and oh so interesting place all on her own. Divide and conquer :)

Charlotte gave the tour to the others while Kiki and I had an a bit of discovery all on our own.

 

Seeing the museum through your toddler's eyes is like seeing it for the first time yourself. I was awe inspired by her gasps and shrieks of delight when she spied a new animal, the birds (oh she just loved the hall of birds), the mammoths. She was a bit apprehensive when we walked through the Long house exhibit and listened to a story by a Native American Grandmother (the lighting is quite dim so I'm sure her imagination was running wild!). We found a little nook just for kiddos and she aimlessly walked around focusing her attention of little bugs, turtles shells, beaver hides, and pretending to dig for dinosaur bones.

 

 

 

 

Kiki is proving to be our unadventurous one. She doesn't like rides of any kind, carnival, park, even escalators! There is an old Carousel that runs on the top floor of the museum; it is lovely. Kiki thought so too, so long as she didn't have to go on :)

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Charlotte's favorite spot is the waterfall with the deer leaping from the stream. It is a very serene setting, I have to admit.

 

The one thing Kiki keeps talking about is how she "fixed" the elephant. It was a skeleton puzzle that she worked on for quite some time. Each piece she carefully examined and needed very little assistance to find the correct spot for each piece. She lovingly place every piece of the puzzle and when she was finished, she stepped back, sighed and smiled and patted the "fixed" elephant and assured him that he was OK, he was fixed now. She picked up her little basket (her little friends accompany her everywhere these days) and was ready to be on her way.

 

 

So, to say the littles have been a bit over excitable these past few days is an understatement. Company always makes them a bit wilder than usual. Last night they had become quite unruly and had a real hard time settling in after our long day out and late evening of games and ice cream. After many attempts to bring them to bed I finally came to my senses and brought in the magic serum. I gently massaged some oil onto their chest and asked them to breathe deeply and nice and slow (I put some on me, too!!) Within moments they were out like lights!

 

The power of Moor Lavender oil is amazing!!! Have you tried it? What are some of your favorite ways to soothe the savage beast in your littles?

New Year, New Rhythm

We humans have been shaped over the millennia bt the rhythmic rotation of the earth, by the diurnal dance of day and night. We have been formed by the rosy shadings of light at dawn, and by nightime's reply as scarlet and violet descend into velvet black. We have grown and evolved in Earth's slow journey around the sun. Day by day our world shifts imperceptibly, moving inexorably from spring's first blossom toward a world glittering in ice diamonds. Both the rapture and the travails of this cycle have formed the human psyche. Although our modern life is far removed from this earth-based consciousness, still our fundamental shaping has been in a rhythmic pattern. Our children, who live closer to basics than we do, are profoundly affected by the life rhythms we determine for them.

~ excerpt from Heaven on Earth by

Sharifa Oppenheimer

 

 

New beginnings have begun in our home. I've been seeking the right rhythm foundation for our home life and lately it's been a bit of a challenge. Seraphina came to us in June of last year and with her came a bit of a whirlwind. I could barely focus let alone try to keep a healthy rhythm alive in our home. Some days I was successful. We'd follow the rhythm that I'd begun prior to baby's arrival (you can read about that here) but between feedings, naps, piles of laundry, sickness (too much sickness), night school......well, I could go on! Needless to say, I've been spinning my wheels for a while and it hasn't felt very good. I can see where my littles are lost and feel like fish out of water. Anyway, the good news is we've begun to move out of the newborn haze (and hopefully the "everyone is sick again" phase) and are working new rhythms into our daily life.

 

Today we started Ring Time. We've done a bit of this in the past but I was at a loss for verses and the like. I've since acquired many lovely books (Wynstones, Waldorf Book of Poetry, for example) to help create our story of poems, finger plays and movement. We had great fun today and I was largely inspired for our winter Ring Circle by Lisa from  Celebrate the Rhythm of Life . I adapted it to fit our needs and boy! We sure had fun! There was laughter, smiles galore, and just pure and simple joy. I loved every minute of it and the littles have requested that we do it again and again! This inspired me to really sit and plan ahead our Ring Time for the year. My intention is to do the same circle for an entire month, that way it can be seasonal and kept appropriate for the holidays and such.

 

We've also begun our home school with Charlotte. She's just turned 5 and she has been asking and asking for more in the way of lessons. We've been having a more "unschool" atmosphere since September, focusing our day around our creative activity for that day (seasonal craft/activity, painting, drawing, baking, and handwork), reading and playing. I was able to purchase an Oak Meadow Kindergarten Syllabus so with that in my arsenal along with a few great nature study guides and the rest of our daily routine we should be in good shape! Kiki participates too. She follows along the day and when Charlotte sits down for her studies I set her up with us at the table to play but eventually she'll wander off and go bask in the glory of having the toys all to herself.

 

 

We have tasks that we "should" be completing everyday.......it's been my lack of initiative and motivation to keep on task BUT! It's a new beginning, right......I'll try harder. Our home runs so much more smoothly when I've got my head in the game and lately, I've been sitting under the bleachers ;) I spent this entire past weekend gutting each and every room, cleaning and reorganizing. The laundry that piled up as a result of a months worth of sickness has been washed, folded and put away. All the little things that have been eating away at my confidence as a homemaker have been defeated! (insert heavy sigh of relief here!!). It's wonderful and it makes it so much easier to keep on top of the load when it's actually manageable without needing the National Guard for assistance! This list above is a new addition to our other daily tasks. These are things I would usually just do on my own while having a little stand by and watch me, and usually, they are asking to help. To be honest, most

 times I would say "No, thank you". It wasn't because they were incapable, in fact, all of my children are wonderfully capable and help out in wonderful ways. I'd say "No" because I was too buried among the work aspect, the lack of joy in my work, the burden, that I would just lump it alone. There really is no reason to do that so it's shifting. The littles and I sat this morning and had a grand time folding laundry and Charlotte can not wait to sweep!!! Works for me!!

It excites me greatly to see how willingly life can shift when you can get your head out of your heart and just allow things to unfold as they may. I am much more at peace and I know for sure that my children are too!

 

Preparing in Gratitude

Blessing on this room of ours,
Blessing on the garden flowers,
Blessing on the birds and trees,
On the butterflies and bees.
Blessing on the dolls and toys,
On our quietness and noise.
Blessing on the children dear,
On the grown ups who come here.
Blessing on our work and play,
God be with us all each day.

 

 

We're preparing for Thanksgiving time in our home. As a Waldorf inspired home, we incorporate the teaching of Rudolf Steiner in much of our daily lives........

 

"An immense enrichment of the soul is achieved through the experience of feeling gratitude. One should see to it that, even in a very young child, a feeling of thankfulness is developed. If one does this, a feeling of gratitude will be transformed into love when the child is older. In every situation in life, love will be colored through, permeated with gratitude. Even a superficial observation of social life demonstrates that a valuable impulse for the social question can be fostered when we educate people towards a greater feeling of gratitude for what their fellow human beings are doing. For this feeling of gratitude is a bridge from one human soul and heart to another. Without gratitude, this bridge could never be built." ~ from Waldorf Education and Anthroposophy 1922-24 lectures by Rudolf Steiner

 

Cultivating gratitude within our children is in fact a lifestyle. It is not something that can only be acted on just one day a year. The mere  existence of gratitude in our society requires that we feel it and live it every single day. How will our world continue without it? We already can see the upsetting occurrences of what happens when gratitude fades to entitlement; our Earth's resources are being depleted, some children have grown into adults that have lost their reverence for how precious all life is, there is a lack of respect and responsibility in our ever growing populations. We are a culture of constant consumption.......if only a tear drop of gratitude could be injected into the ailments of the planet and our connection as human beings, might there be a shift in the dire situations of so many?

In the spirit of gratitude, we've been telling a particular story, a bit adapted to help capture the importance of being thankful. We discovered the story of Hugin and the Carrot (adapted from the story Hugin and the Turnip) over at Natural Kids .

The first part we adapted is where the Caterpillar asked if Hugin knew the right way to pull up the carrot.

We added "Did he first give thanks to the Root Gnome and ask if he might pull up the carrot?" Then Hugin put his mouth close to the ground and called: "Gnome, good Root Gnome. Many thanks for helping this beautiful carrot to grow so big and beautiful. May I take your carrot home so that on Thanksgiving Day we can eat a soup that tastes of carrots sweet?"

We also added at the end where everyone is helping each other up:

"Many thanks for you help. So sorry to have knocked you over."

The last line of our story is read like this:

"And nobody was hurt, and everybody laughed. All their hearts were full of thanks for the help each one did give and for that beautiful carrot that would make their bellies warm and full. "

It was very sweet to know that the message was received. Here the littles are meeting the characters and reciting the story as they remembered. I heard many "thank yous" being shared between characters and "oohs and ahhs" for how beautiful the carrot was and how thankful they were for such a lovely treat to eat. It is so beautiful to me how children really are much more readily available to give gratitude. Their wonder, their beautiful attunement to love and how each individual creature is just as important and valuable as the next. I never tire of watching this grace in action.

Another little piece that we've woven into this tapestry of thanks is the song "Johnny Appleseed". We sing an adapted version, for no particular reason, this is just how I was taught to sing it.......

Oh, the Earth's been good to me.
And so I thank the Earth
For giving me the things I need:
The sun, the rain and the apple seed;
Oh, the Earth's been good to me.

Oh, and every seed I sow
Will grow into a tree.
And someday there'll be apples there
For everyone in the world to share.
Oh, the Earth is good to me.

 

Here is a photo of a little craft we did the other day.......it's a turkey! I'm sure you guessed :) I'm not entirely into these kinds of crafty things, I much prefer something that is a bit more purposeful; but that being said, Charlotte and Kiki are very much into puppets lately. Everything is a puppet ready for a show. We happen to have many gloves that are missing their other so it seemed a perfect thing to turn them into puppets; and why not a turkey?! Gobble! Gobble!!

How do you incorporate giving thanks and living in gratitude with your littles? xo




A Bit of Magic : A Pumpkin Painting Story

We've heard many stories to support a particular painting project but none really resonated with me or my kids enough to create a well rounded experience. To honor that, I chose to write my own story to follow along with a somewhat traditional pumpkin painting experience. The painting part doesn't begin right away so if you choose to share our story with your children, read it ahead so you can get a feel for where and when you can prompt your kids to begin to create their little pumpkins.

 

I felt Kiki was bit young for this project so I set up a pumpkin project similar to our

 Shamrock Window Transparency.
~ You will need some orange paper to cut into a pumpkin frame
~ some bits of tissue paper
~ a blue piece of paper to frame your pumpkin on

 

We used the wet on wet watercolor technique for the pumpkin painting. It's such a magical experience to watch and participate in. To see your littles' eyes light up when they see the colors change or the pumpkin face come shining through......it really is quite sweet.

 

~ You will need some wet watercolor paper

~ Blue, red, yellow watercolors

~ A cup of plain water

~ Brushes for the paint and water

Enjoy ~

 

Once upon a time a Little Seed lived in the earth. He was waiting and waiting until the time was just right for him to begin to grow. He waited until the soil was warm enough…….and on that day he burst open and a little green tendril began to uncurl from Little Seed’s body. With so much strength and persistence he pushed through the earth above and followed the trail to the ever glowing light.

As days came and went he kept growing his long green tendrils all along the garden floor. Leaves began to sprout along the curly vines and then little flower buds began to pop out between the leaves.  Now, our Little Seed friend knew that these flowers were very special because it was from the “Queen” flowers that a round, orange, pumpkin would grow. All day long, Little Seed would call for the bees, telling them that a feast would await them in just a short time. This would be a once in a lifetime day for everyone. It was on this one day that Little Seed would push his flowers open to welcome the bees for the afternoon feast. These blossoms would begin to unfold by early dawn and by late morning they would be in full bloom. They would be open and waiting for the bees to come and share their pollen with all the flowers along the vine but especially with the “Queen” flowers atop their globe shaped thrones.

That day had arrived and the bees were humming so loudly. They were happy and full of pollen, dropping little bits into each “Queen” as they sipped on the sweet nectar within the flower.  Little Seed could hear and see the symphony of miracles that was happening all around him. By dusk the bees had  gone off to their hives and all the flowers had begun their final bow. The flowers closed and the pollen within each “Queen” had begun to create magic within the round thrones below her. Little Seeds dream was coming true and the pumpkins he so anticipated were beginning to grow.

~ First, a golden ball began to appear. (Paint a yellow sphere on your paper)

~ Then, as the summer light began to shift these little yellow balls began to take on an orange hue. (Add some watery red to your yellow and watch as the color changes  from yellow to orange).

~ The magic and wonder was more than Little Seed could bear. He felt so much satisfaction for the birth of the pumpkins because he knew that they would bring such joy and happiness to many little children who would come one day to pick those pumpkins. The sky above them was so blue but could not match that of the bright burst of orange that shone from the pumpkins below. (Paint blue all around your pumpkin but be mindful not to mix the blue with the orange in an effort to keep the colors separate).

 

~ After the sweltering heat of summer had come and gone and the leaves started falling from their tree homes, Little Seed knew it was time. The pumpkins that had started from little green globes beneath the most beautiful flowers had finished growing. They were ready to be taken from their curly, green, vines and brought home to a loving and appreciative family that would use this pumpkin for a lovely celebration. Little Seed knew that these pumpkins would provide nourishment, fun, beauty, and then would return to the Earth and begin anew. (Combine a bit of the orange and blue to encourage a stem (greenish) somewhere along your pumpkin).

 

~ As the children danced along Little Seed’s long tendril and chose the perfect pumpkin to take home, Little Seed felt very proud. He had worked very hard for a very long time. He was sad to see his treasures go but knew their life would be so meaningful to so many. As the pumpkins were carried away Little Seed saw the smiling faces of each one glowing back at him; their eyes, their smiles, their teeth, their noses.  (Now paint faces on your pumpkins with some fresh water. The clean water will wash away any color that is there and a face will shine through. You can use a clean cloth to dab the paper with and help pull the color away. After it dries a bit paint your eyes, smile, nose with some yellow paint. This gives your pumpkin a nice glowing face).

 

It had been a busy time for Little Seed and he found he was ready to retire for the winter. He knew that he would be taken care of by the Winter Fairies and Gnomes and other woodland creatures. They would tuck him in for the long cold winter and prepare him for what lie ahead.

The winter winds began to blow, Little Seed could hear that he was being called away. He drifted gently from the cold, barren earth and danced among the snowflakes and ice to discover where it is he was to go next. Little Seed didn’t know where he would land  but trusted that it would be just as amazing as where he had been.

KiKi's finished pumpkin

 

Charlotte asked to make her painting our new Welcome sign on our front door (the screen comes through in the photo, kinda neat looking I thought!).

I think it's perfect, don't you? :)

 

 

 

* This post was shared on Frontier Dream ~ Keep Calm Craft On

and Seasons of Joy

 

Michaelmas Shooting Stars

 

 

2012, the Year of the Dragon......It is the year in which we embrace the dragon, acknowledge, tame, accept, allow and understand all that they mean.

 

Michaelmas, a celebration of the archangel Michael and his ability to harness the courage he needed to slay (or tame) the dragon. Michaelmas is a time of much centering and inward reflection; a time to defeat the dragon within us, to look at deeply and shed light on the dusty places within our souls to allow our own star shine.

 

I could go on and on about what this time of reflection has meant to me. This Michaelmas season has brought about some wonderful shifts and exciting new possibilities. My heart has been opened wide and I've been able to listen and receive my calling, the whispers of my Angels who are guiding me along the way. My journey is not only continuing but most certainly beginning anew.

 

These thoughts are a bit much for the wee folk in my life. They absolutely can comprehend on a spiritual level the sacredness of this time; the purposeful work, the quiet storytelling and the magic of seeing the story of St. Michael come alive in our life. To help bring the story alive even more I chose to share with them this handwork project. Many years ago when my eldest first went to school we were blessed to be able to send him to our local Waldorf school. His teacher floated on air. She was as gentle as a lamb, as quiet as a mouse and her eyes twinkled like little stars. The children adored her, as did I. It was pure magic to watch her effortlessly move through a room of 20 or so children, sing a beautiful song and just like that the children would focus their attention her way. They quieted and they glistened in the pure magic of the moment. It was on a day just like this where I was able to assist the classroom in the making of these Shooting Stars.

 

The SITS Fall Back into Blogging Challenge has proven to be a bit difficult for me. I've been unable to keep up with the days and the blog challenges due to unexpected daily life occurances :) That being said.....I've mananged at least one post, albeit a day early, and so...... well, better late than never, right ;)

 

 

First, we went in search of Goldenrod to use for dying our felt.

 

 

We came home with two filled little baskets and began plucking the flower from the stems.

 

We put the flowers in a pot, covered them with water and boiled them for several hours.

 

 

While the flowers were boiling we went in search of the

 perfect stone to help add some weight to our stars.

 

 

One of the more fun parts......wet felting!!

 

Once the felt was formed into a ball, we dried them a bit then added them to our

strained goldenrod dye where they bathed for an hour or so. We let them

set/dry overnight. In the morning, we put them in a pillowcase and finished drying them in the dryer.

 

I added some needle felted star decorations and a ribbon tail and put them in

my littles hands; they ran for the door to send them into the sky.

 

 

"The Autumn winds wail through the wood,

Through rushes and through reed.

Who is the rider of radiant light

On the snowy white, shimmering stead?

Of garment of gold he rides along,

His face like the sun so bright.

O Michael, lend us your starry sword,

The darkness of Earth fill with light."

 





 







First Days

September is upon us. School has started, leaves are falling, the air feels crisp. The light has shifted into a more autumnal feel.......less blazing heat and more fragmented light. It happens every year. It's inevitable. These are our first days of Autumn.

We have three school aged children in our home. Two are attending our local public school while the other has begun her schooling at home. We are not taking these first years so seriously as she is only four and a half but she feels ready nonetheless. Charlotte is a go getter. She is eager to begin to write and keep up with her siblings. We try our best to follow the natural rhythms around us, allowing for an organic learning experience. We draw our creative energies from nature and the seasons, we follow Rudolf Steiner's grain and color of the day, we try to create an environment that is full of mindful work........baking, painting, cleaning, felting, gardening, singing, and stories.

Our little "homeschool" is our dining room. Our seasonal table sits there as well as our rhythm chart. Its the center of our home, next to our kitchen and play space. The room is draped with westerly sunshine all afternoon thereby creating a warm glow during our afternoon hours. It is cozy and sweet and so far........a comfortable place to learn.

 



 As a mother and teacher I am trying to allow Charlotte to blossom as she is.  In a traditional Waldorf setting writing wouldn't begin until quite a bit later in a child's education.  Charlotte, however, is eager and has been practicing all on her own for sometime.  She is eager for it. She asks for it. As we try to establish Waldorf traditions in our home I also feel it is my responsibility to her to honor what it she feels like she is ready for. Little steps at a time. So as our first lessons we practiced spelling her name. Atop her name is a picture of herself with a few of her favorite things; butterflies, rainbows, sunshine and flowers. We also began to learn all about Monday; how Monday is connected to the Moon and that part of our main meal will incorporate the grain rice (according to Rudolf Steiner's Grain of the Day). We've begun this process by creating a book on the days of the week.......I will post photos once we are finished!

Another thing Charlotte was eager to do was memorize. She loves to memorize poems, stories or jokes and perform them for her family and friends. This is what she learned to day.......

"The world is full

Of a number of things.

I'm sure we should all

Be happy as kings."

 

 

If you are homeschooling I would love to hear how your first days are going. I'm looking forward to an exciting year ahead with homeschooling as well as being able to create a relaxing and nurturing environment for our children that attend school elsewhere. If you have children that go to school outside your home, how do you create a space where they can come home and decompress?