as cozy as spring

Changing of the Seasons

One of our favorite picture books is Sky Tree which follows a single tree through the seasons.  It is simply written and beautifully illustrated.

And also provides inspiration for a very simple art project.

This is completely unrelated, but over the summer I tried to place my mind twenty years from now and imagine what I would regret not doing better during this phase of my life.  Better breakfasts came to mind.  I can make delicious waffles and cinnamon rolls so why not do it more often?  I'm still trying to perfect my homemade yogurt (more times than not, it winds up in the trash).  

The other thing I thought I would regret was not doing anything pretty with my little girl's hair while I had the chance.  So I worked and tried and swore and pulled and finally I have managed to french braid her hair without too many tears.

 

Yay! Now I need some 'Little Red Ribbons' a la Betsy.

Wrapping up the week.

Hiya!  The days and weeks are sorting themselves into their own rhythm, over which I have little say.  I'm tired enough on Saturday to really need a break from lessons, which indicates that our school year is going well enough.  Last week, our first full week, didn't go as planned with many interruptions and two days lost to illness.  So I would call it a typical school week instead of the ideal school week I had in mind. 

I promised I would review the Memoria Press Kindergarten program once we started.  It's good.  Some of it's too easy - my son was already reading a bit when we started so we're beyond learning the sound of the letter Mm.  Now learning to write the letter Mm - whole different story!  There are some fun ideas and themes included in the lesson plan book that, to me, make it a valuable addition to our days (activities my daughter can do as well).  In the end, I'm pleased with the purchase.  It provides inspiration and structure as I'm planning for everyone.

We supplement with nature study and art, plenty of read alouds and prayer.  My son is rather attached to the rosary Brother Martin gave him and brings it in every night asking, "Rosary?".  I would say more about this, but it would go against my blogging manifesto of never talking about anything that matters and that might also be interesting.  

I've been planning art and science for Fridays.  We normally take this outdoors, but the heat has returned so this week we brought nature in. I have monarch caterpillars in my dining room.  A lot of them.  I can't get an accurate count, but it's between 25 and 30.  I'm seriously concerned about my milkweed supply as one of my largish plants is only stems at this point.  There's always a bit of humiliation involved in pet care, isn't there?  Mine came yesterday as I lovingly hand scrubbed all the aphids and ants off the leaves to give my babies only the finest cuisine and then swept up all their little... previously digested matter.

 

This is just one (1!) stem.  It's a little gross sitting there next to my dining room table, but we've lost too many caterpillars to wasps for me to put it outside now.
At this point in time I feel like things have gotten out of hand and I care too much about the butterflies (lost my mind entirely).  But in a few weeks, when I release a cloud of monarchs into the garden with happy wishes to 'Fly south!  Fall approaches!" I hope it will be all worth it. 

 

We also delved into our mountain life zone study with my very most favorite wildflower, monkshood.  My daughter read all about it while they colored and I discussed all the points it is mentioned in literature and mythology.  We talked about where we had seen it growing and if that fit in with the descriptions in our guidebooks.  Fun!

Off to plan next week! 

Beginning

Our Nature Journals.  Page one.  

Color Wheels - Using these instructions.

 

It's the fist truly cool morning in months.  My children are playing outside in jeans (it's not that cold).  We're supposed to start lessons at 9:00 but it will be a while before I call them back in.  For me, who is clearly so sensitive to weather, the freedom to drop (or postpone at least) everything on a beautiful morning is the #1 best thing about homeschooling.  Except for all the other best things.