small wonders

 

Oh my, but it is busy these days!
Homeschooling has started, but it hardly feels like autumn- the weather has been incredibly hot and summery. Getting back into our homeschooling rhythm has been wonderful, though we miss Perry when he is back at work. We started our year off with a not-back-to-school gathering of homeschoolers, and it was glorious to spend the afternoon with 18 kids splashing in the mountain stream- all thrilled to be playing together in the sunshine.

This year Ari is starting grade 2 and Dorian is in kindergarten. It is ever so busy with 2 homeschooling kiddos and a wee baby, but it has been going very well. I am in love with Enki grade 2- it is exactly right for Ari. This year we are working with cultural units and our humanities blocks are focusing on "Sages" - people from different parts of the world who have done great things with their lives- and the trickster tales from their culture. We will be working with several cultures over the course of the year, and the dances, songs, crafts, food, poetry and stories from each. We are starting our first cultural unit in Scotland with John Muir as our Sage and having a great time hearing trickster tales about mischievous Fox, dancing Scottish dances during circle, dying wool,  listening to some great tunes and eating tattie scones with our supper! Dorian is along for the ride with the cultural activities, but has his own special kindy stories during story time which he loves. He joins us at morning lesson and draws  (and draws and draws,) while Ari is working on his schoolwork. He is pushing for some work that looks more like Ari's during our afternoon lesson time which is when Ari practices reading and works on practice work- handwriting, and worksheets for skills we've already learned. Perhaps some simple workbooks will be in order for him- maybe simple letter tracing or something?

And Willa- oh, sweet baby Willa- she is just the most lovely, easy, happy little love. She loves to just watch the goings on from my arms or on a sheepskin on the floor, kicking and cooing away. We borrowed a friend's sling for the chariot stroller and she's been joining us on our morning walks in there- often falling asleep and staying asleep once we are home- we just bring the chariot into the mud room and keep our ears open while we get started on morning lesson. I know enough now not to get too used to this particular routine, but I'm loving it while we've got it. And she sleeps! Glory be! This baby is a sleeper, (as least for the time being!) and I could not be more thankful.

Ari started guitar lessons this week and is loving it. He is learning on my baritone ukelele (so I suppose calling them ukelele lessons would be more accurate, but he considers himself to be learning guitar, so we'll go with that,) which has 4 strings instead of 6 and is much smaller and easier to play. Because it still uses the same fingering, the hope is he will be able to pick up guitar chords easily when he is big enough. Ari is incredibly musical (he is playing kit drums so well it rather astonishes me!) but I knew with his learning style that being able to learn songs quickly would be best for him, and he is really keen. And Dorian was fitted for a fiddle this week and will start lessons soon, with the tiniest cutest little fiddle ever!

And there is so much else we've been up to that I have not managed to record here. A lovely visit with my sister and her husband and beautiful baby girl, the fall fair with prizes for crafts and cookies, learning about bees from the beekeeper friend that kept hives on our land this summer, farmers markets and garden food we can barely keep on top of.  And with this incredible weather we have been having- so much time outside playing and soaking up the sun.

Last night we all went the beach and had a last lake picnic of the season. Ari is getting really good in the kids kayak, and they both love to play along the water and in the dense bushes around the lake.  I had a swim myself and it felt so good to get into that cold clear water. We forgot the camera, but the memory will stay warm and bright in our minds. A beautiful last hurrah to summer.