: Friday : Moment :

This moment, one photo, no words, a glimpse in time, inspired by Soulemama.

Actually, I have three moments to share because I have neglected to post for the last several weeks.

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: Thursday : Nature :

Since I haven't posted a nature edition for several weeks, I am displaying a brief seasonal progression of the end of August and through September.

Here are some words of wisdom.... Why don't you take a hike?

I mean literally, take a hike and soak up your local beauty. Notice the little things. Enjoy.

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: Wednesday : Love :

I love to play with our dog and kitty.

I love when the boys are playing in harmony...it is getting better as Jared gets older and has a little more patience.

I love the right to make choices for our children and their path of education.... I will explain in more depth later....perhaps on Sunday reflection.

I love loyal readers of my blog who do not abandon me when I seem to disappear off the face of the internet because my life is so crazy and busy.

I love great friends.

I love the fact that Daniel will be finished with school in less than 10 weeks..... Ahhh, sweet relief!!...Then we will have to wait another couple months for licensing to be finalized.....((sigh)).

I love Oak Meadow homeschool curriculum....I will explain where I am coming from in more detail soon.

I love these farm-style kitchen accessories on Etsy, which include this 1920s spice box, this enamel pot, and this kitchen set.

I love to laugh.

I love to read poetry and stories to the children, and I love to gently play guitar as the kids enter their sleep.

I love Autumn..............

What do you love right now?

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: Wash Wednesday :

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: Tuesday : Creations :

This last week, I have been too tied up to make anything with my hands to speak of. So, instead I will dedicate this edition to handmade items for sale under the realm of Waldorf/Autumn from creators on Etsy.

greenbaboondesigns

Nushkie

mountainhearth

naturechild

theenchantedcupboard

BearDanceCrafts

Hope you enjoy the warm colors and pleasing natural fibers. Though I am a bit early, I still love autumn. Either way, have a great remainder of your summer and enjoy the last bit of warmth.

: Monday : Nourishment :

We just picked these succulent organic green beans from our garden. They were plump and delicious, as they should be. Mmmm...

A little sickness struck us this past weekend, which was inevitable with the start of school, so we made some soup with what I had on hand. I made use of vegetable broth, potatoes, collard greens, kidney beans, onions, garlic, spices, salt, and pepper. It was a large batch that lasted a couple days and it was very soothing to those of us who started getting a slight fever. We alternated this with organic creamy tomato soup.

Quiche is a great way to eat meatless and cheap. I make my own wheat crust and use spices, sea salt, eggs, milk, and an assortment of veges, including mushrooms, carrots, onions, garlic, parsley, kale, etc...

This less than pretty picture is of the delicious tofu burritos we made a few days ago. They included sauteed tofu in olive oil and chili powder, paprika, and garlic,.. and fresh corn, refried beans, diced tomatoes, and wild and brown rice. It was very tasty!

Apparently, I have made red beans and rice a couple times in the last week and a half, both slightly different. This meal was served with organic mixed greens and the organic pomegranite acai berry dressing I recently refered to, and we each had either fresh sweet yellow corn or sweet white corn.

This version was simply served with lightly steamed organic kale and fresh baked bread with butter and honey.

Until next week.... Eat Well!!!

: Sunday : Reflection :

It has been a little bit of a rough start for Jared at school. Actually, he cosistently claims to like his teacher, his friends, and the daily/weekly ongoings. He purports that he has trouble solely with parting with me. This is certainly a new development in the last 3 weeks of school. He has changed since preschool. Ahhh, yes, the ups and downs and winding roads our children take us on.... :) Things are getting better, though. The daily and weekly rhythms are beneficial to the comfort and security of a child at this age, and Jared is beginning to get into the swing of things. Waldorf is all about rhythms.... I would like to briefly share the weekly and daily rhythms of our Waldorf Sunflower Kindergarten class:

Essentially, the daily schedule would look something like this at this point.........

          ~ 8:40 am - School begins/ Free Play and then Outdoor play
          ~ Wash hands/ Circle Time
          ~ Scheduled Weekly Activity
          ~ Wash Hands/ Snack Time (Such as millet with honey or fresh vegetable soup and bread, etc...)
          ~ Imagination play/ Outdoor play/ Clean up
          ~ Departure for those who leave at 12:45 pm
          ~ Wash Hands/ Eat a healthy lunch/ Clean up
          ~ Rest Time with music and a story for about 45 minutes
          ~ Play and Pick up time by 2:20 pm
         
........And the weekly rhythms look a bit like this.........

          ~ Color ~
Monday ~ Purple
Tuesday ~ Red
Wednesday ~ Yellow
Thursday ~ Orange
Friday ~ Green

          ~ Grain ~
Monday ~ Rice
Tuesday ~ Barley
Wednesday ~ Millet
Thursday ~ Rye
Friday ~ Oats

          ~ Activity ~
Monday ~ Block Crayon Coloring
Tuesday ~ Bread Baking
Wednesday ~ Veggie Chopping
Thursday ~ Handwork: Finger Knit/ Felt Sewing/ Beeswax Molding
Friday ~ Watercolor Painting

Often, the children take nature walks and occassionally celebrate birthdays and other pertinent holidays when appropriate. Jared likes it..... In fact, when I dropped him off on Wednesday, he seemed so upset about going to school that I was emotionally torn and ready to pull him out of school. I began looking into homeschool resources and getting prepared to teach him myself, thinking that maybe that truly is what he needs right now.....but when I picked him up later, he was clearly happy with his friends and excited about the day. I asked him if he wanted to come back the next day, several times actually, and he affirmed that he did want to return, without hesitation each time. This and the fact that his teacher genuinely wants him to stay, both have put my mind at ease. It will get better...It has been getting better...It is a gradual uphill slope. Only time will tell.

Have a great week, and to those of you who have children or who are returning to school yourself, good luck to you and enjoy the ride.

: Saturday : Journey :

We haven't had much going on lately, but I did recently tell Jared that if he had a good couple of days at school, I would take him and Dylan to the river at the original spot we visited the first time we headed down the trail. Well, he does a great job at listening and being one of the better-behaved boys in the class once I am gone, so he was treated to a hike and play at the river. He loves it...I guess nature itself is just part of a child's nature, especially if you expose them to it young enough.

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: Friday : Moment :

"This Moment" is a reflective tradition of capturing one point in time in one photograph worth remembering and savoring. Implemented by many, this collective compilation of memories in the making is inspired originally by Soulemama. Join in in the comments below if you please.

Week in Gratitude.....

~ My son's teacher...he is so patient and willing to make it work with Jared (Jared has been having a hard time letting me go every morning I drop him off, despite the absolute fun he has every day) ~

~ Daniel's mother...her help and understanding never ceases ~

~ Our organized and tidy home ~

~ Our blooming sunflowers ~

~ The lingering of summer's end, though I do love Autumn ~

~ Being home with my young children... many are not able to experience such a treasure ~

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What about you? What are you grateful for?.........