Homeschool moments

We have experimented with many different flavors of homeschool.   I have also struggled with maintaining an exact schedule.  The demands of spring time farming with all the baby animals and baby plants has kept me totally occupied.  So school time has happened right by my side as I work.  

I am still growing into my confidence in this method.

On a day when I edged near feelings of neglect and failure I simply asked each child individually what they had learned that day.  

The younger kids sung out their joy of dirt and the difference between sand, clay, aged manure and city compost.  We had experienced another chicken loss that day and after helping dig a small grave 2 feet deep they explained to me the different layers of earth they had observed.

The kids are now experts, they have been playing in piles of dirt for weeks.  They dug a giant hole that when filled with rain became irresistible.  My sister Mary who is a speech therapist calls this "engaging in primary experiences".    

Maryanna was quick in inventing "mud yoga" and Clara followed with "mud ballet".  Henry decided a mud ball fight would be fun.  When I explained that is was time smooth out the pile they cried and wondered if they could request a dump load for Christmas or their birthdays, just theirs, for playing and making mud.  They think it would make for a great birthday party.

    

Peter has taken on the role of watering.  He was thrilled when I brought home a soaker hose and was helpful in establishing a watering system for the gardens.  We are considering ways to collect rain water and even setting up olla irrigation. He is constantly asking me questions about the plants that I wish I could answer, I simply say "I don't know, we'll have to just wait and see for ourselves".  Besides caring for the garden Peter has been most occupied with knitting farm animals.   

Past summers these two older boys kept their faces buried in books but now it seems they are more occupied with projects.  They took to this chicken tractor that Paul built just like the boys in Tom Sawyer. 

In addition to painting James has been focused on authoring an original fantasy series.  So far he is 95 pages into it and any moment I accuse him of being idle he says, "I know it looks like I'm being lazy right now but I'm pondering the developments of the plot". 

Meanwhile William has kept his hands busy with whittling.  This he does as he sits quietly with the animals, always returning in to report some very subtle observation.  He has also taken to observing the sky and while I was tucking in the younger ones one evening I heard a frantic call out for me, "mom, come quick".  I ran expecting an emergency but instead shared the wonder of May 2013's full moon lunar eclipse.  Already they are gearing up for the super moon expected this weekend.

Knowing our interest in the sky, our neighbors arranged for us to visit with their son in law who is a professor of physics and astronomy.  During his visit to Michigan he treated us to a peak at the sun through a special telescope.  George said "it looks like a ping pong ball".  

Our field trips have been fewer than they use to be.  But when another neighbor told us about the bird sales hosted by Michigan Bird and Game Breeders Association we could not resist.  William is still begging for peacocks and Peter was disappointed not to find a runner duck drake but we were all happy about the new baby guineas.  We also saw an assortment of doves, pigeons, emus, geese, turkeys and ducks.  When we came to a table of peacock feather hair pieces and earrings I almost (like for two seconds) got tempted to bring home a peacock, good thing I didn't. 

We are also really enjoying the company of other homeschool families.  I am amused by their "hanging out", here I put them to work preparing a pot roast to feed 13 children.  What we learned from this experience was when you double the amount of food in the dutch oven you should almost double the time for cooking.  Their back up dinner was watermelon, popcorn, bacon and as many eggs as they could find.

They are also practicing a play that was written by one of the 11 year old girls.  I am pleased by the way they have invited the 3 year olds to participate.

No day is without entertainment.  Maryanna and Clara have formed what they call "the farm circus".  They do all sorts of tricks, including a few that involve "Tainta" the chicken.

  

And there are certainly times where I demand normal school work.  In an old picnic basket I have arranged a mobile classroom and bring it where ever we may just be sitting.  Most recently it has accompanied us to the dentist and horseback riding lessons.  In it there is a pack of addition and subtraction flash cards, first 100 word flash cards, draw and write journals, large print scriptures, recent copy of the Friend magazine, a few small dry erase boards and a teaching time clock.

So grateful for the experiences I am sharing with my children, I too am learning so much!

Garden Report 3- mulched and needing more mulch

The garden is now covered in straw.  I wasn't sure what else to do with too many weeds coming up and not enough rain to keep the soil moist.  I'm checking out a pile of leaves pushed up against a neighbor's fence and wondering if I could convince the boys to spend a day raking and spreading them on top of the straw.  We've also been collecting cardboard and feed bags and putting them down along the pathways.  More than anything right now I could use some more wood chips, I've already gone through 10 yards and it would require several more dump loads to get the amount I need.

    

 The hugel beds are growing strong plants and weeds, not sure what to do about that because everytime I pull a weed it creates erosion and I lose a bit of soil and stability for the plants.

The boxes in the front are doing their work.  After further investigation I'm happy to report the sweet potato loss was not as bad as I originally suspected, I am seeing new leaves sprout from the shriveled plants.  

I lost two napa cabbages, one day they were there and the next they were withered, and still wondering why.  Greens are doing well and finally got to thinning beets, turnips and carrots.  

We got some cucumbers in along the side of the house

The peas are flowering and climbing

James set up a tower for his bird house gourds to climb

Peonies are popping 

A neighbor split an order of basket willow starts.  These are salix americana and so far so good.  They are tiny now but should grow to a hedge and maybe by that time I'll have time to experiment with basket making?!

Lupines are out and I'm feeling the urge to plant some more for soil coverage under some trees

Peter got a sunflower house in and already they are sprouting.  He mixed in a few climbing beans to climb the sunflowers and planted a pepper right in the middle for snacking.  On another morning a neighbor showed up at my door at 8 am and suggested we "have fun in the garden".  We found a spot and put in a row of bush beans and she was generous will all sorts of tried and true garden tips.

The potato towers are growing quickly and now I'm wondering if they are tall enough for the job. 

And the most exciting addition to the garden this week is a small flock of guineas that were picked up yesterday at a bird show in Charlotte, MI.  The kids are playing with them and training them to remain tame and I am looking forward to them growing into their role as primary pest patrollers. 

Looking back on 

garden report 1

garden report 2

Making Cob with Kids

Over the last several weeks we have enjoyed getting to know some other homeschool families in the area.  We try to meet once a week rotating homes with the intention of offering project based learning based on sustainable farming methods. 

This morning we were invited to participate in building an earthen oven. The oven is really big, at least 3 feet in diameter and will be large enough for at least 8 loaves of bread.  I'm already dreaming one up for our family to build!
  

I don't know enough about cob building to offer much technical detail so I will simply share what we did.  Buckets of sand and clay where collected from around the property and dumped on a large tarps.  A pile of straw was chopped and sprinkled on top as was a few splashes of water.  

The volume was turned up on some good dancing music and the mixing and stomping began.

Once the right consistency was achieved bricks where kneaded and patted by hand then added to the base of the oven.

I am grateful for a little hands on (or foots on) experience and hope that we will be able to participate in further stages.  For those who are local the family is offering workshops for the next three Fridays and you may contact me for details.  And for those who interested but too far away this book was recommended as a must read on the subject. 

Practicing Peace in Chaos

On a good morning and with the help of yoga today I can squeeze a bit of yoga practice into my life.  Matched with scripture study this is a great start to the day. But sometimes the morning turns on me in the middle of the practice, and this is probably the best practice. 

Lately, it seems every morning has been turning on me, being greeted with much more chaos than cooperation.  I am learning that peaceful management of a home and family requires more than just an outline for our day.  

My kids like to sneak pictures of me when I'm practicing yoga.  They think when I'm closing my eyes I don't know what they are doing, sometimes during my practice they'll also sneak into the fridge or slip in a few unkind words or hurtful hand to another sibling.  Sometimes (oftentimes), the younger ones climb and crawl all over me.  This offers advanced practice and I usually fold into laughter, and laughing yoga may be what is needed most at this stage.

Last Sunday morning was particularly hard.  I do not practice yoga with a mat on the sabbath but I do incorporate ujiayi breathing into the task of getting our family ready and out the door for church.  Anyone with even one young child knows the challenge, Paul and I often say it could be included as an Olympic event.  

On this particular morning my children were waking from a family party that went till 11pm.  My parents are in town and it is hard and perhaps important not to set boundaries on such joy.  A handful of hours later,  somewhere in the middle of my children's sleep, Crystal the mother cat decided to distribute her kittens into the various beds of my children.  I think it was 3 am when Maryanna was at my pillow informing me of the unusual situation.  So I sent her back to bed and set off on a kitten hunt.  In the process I ended up cleaning their rooms and folding clothes while I carefully searched for the kittens.  By 4 am all the kittens were set back in a box inside a closet with the mother.

By 6 am I was reminded it was time to start getting ready for church.  I took to the task of laying out clothes and peacefully urged others out of bed.  I slipped downstairs, dug through a giant pile of unfolded laundry for a few missing components and then proceeded with breakfast preparations.  We had a plan to join in on a few more family gatherings directly after church so I also began preparing the contributions I offered to bring.

There still was no sign of another waking human but the goats and chickens were all calling from their pens, another reminder of all that needed to get done before leaving for church.  As part of our Sunday morning routine I play the album "Teach Me To Walk In The Light" so I turned it as loud as I could.  

  One by one life found its way down the steps, first down was one of the older boys wearing pants that hit mid calf.  There was much resistance when I informed him that he could not wear those pants, this was matched with anger, frustration and all the physical affects of too little sleep and too much sugar.  

The next big boy I greeted wore an undershirt that screamed "Michigan Football" right through the dress shirt and I was faced with more practice.

There was barely time for baths so we did quick dips of the younger ones.  We did this sequentially and maybe twice for the ones who decided to play in the honey that was left out with breakfast.  Paul and William did all the animal chores.  

I kept an even peace until I realized there was no way we were going to make it in time for the Sacrament.  From there I spiraled from blaming and yelling to going to a place of failure. This all happened while digging through the unfolded laundry pile a second time to replace clothes that were smeared with honey.  I did not sit well with the situation and crumpled into a prayer and tears into the laundry pile.  Immediately the question came to me for what purpose do you partake of the Sacarment? I responded in my heart,  a remembering of the Savior, a recommitment of Christ like living and  for a renewal of peace.  With this response came a clear exhale and reconnection with peace, I partook of it within my heart.

We were late for church and the house was left in a tornado like mess and I'm pleased to report peace was maintained.  That is what matters.

I use to think the solution was to fix the chaos, control it, but that is impossible and yelling and stressing does not feel good inside my body.   All I can control is myself and my own response to what ever shows up in my daily life.  And my life offers much practice.

       

With the intention of greater peace and calm, I hope to tune more into the eyes of individuals than the clock, I am hoping to step away from what is expected and instead ask myself "what is really needed in this moment?".  

As a mother may I be more joyful in setting the tone of our home, especially a harmonious note when it is time to venture out the door of our home. 

I like to use a mix of Mormon and Yoga language as a tool for my intentions.  Sometimes I even arm myself with a tangible reminder, a handwritten scripture or mantra that rests in my pocket for the day.  Some days I simply rely on an open heart and mind for spiritual messages to come as they are needed. 

At the start (or sometimes re-start) of each day I plead for clarity and focus of the mind, for my heart, that it may continually be the home of peace and love, my core, that may it be filled deeply with the strength and power of breath and that I may remain centered.  I seek courage and balance in reaching out through my limbs and my feet, that they may stay grounded, firmly planted in truth.  This is my daily practice and joy.........even when it is through a cloud of chaos or a giant pile of unfolded laundry.

Garden report 2 - Eating our weeds

I wasn't sure we made many gains in the garden this week until sifting through these photos.  

Maryanna prepared her own garden bed and decided that rocks would be a great place to squat and weed.  She planted two pepper plants, some cosmos, coneflower, and marigolds.  It was a full day's work for her and so far she is committed, it may be tidier than her room!  

In another corner of the garden peas are starting to climb.  We have never done peas and hope this will be a favorite snacking spot.

We had a dance with some very low temps last week, down to 38.  The sweet potatoes were under plastic and I still believe we suffered a 50% loss of them.  I added some sorrel, cilantro, marigolds, and a few zinnias and sunflowers.  I see the Asian greens, beets and turnips coming up and was worried about the lettuces.  I had them recorded on my map but when there wasn't any sign of them I wondered if I actually got around to putting the seeds in.  Just this morning though I'm happy to report a faint whisper of green right where I recorded them planted.  Gotta have trust in that map.    

The front bed was cleaned out and filled with herbs, cucumbers, peppers, hollyhocks, lavender and too wide a selection of colors and flowers to list here.  A neighbor noted, "I see you went totally crazy" and I said it was to match the vibrant energy that lives within the house, it will prepare any visitor for the life and noise that may hit them just one step inside our door. 

I'm also pleased to report I was successful in barricading the chickens and dog out with a double fence but used a variety of pots just in case.

Some heavy storms came through, a tornado just 10 miles north of us.  The rain left behind a nice mud pile and when temperatures reached almost 80 it was squishy delight for the youngest four.

We got two cherry trees in, one bing and one tartan.  These were the thoughtful mother day's gift from my family and they were planted just between the blueberries and asparagus bed.

I added two late season blueberry bushes to our small patch, we now have 9 but I feel like we may need 100.  A friend suggested planting service berries because they are bigger and will produce more, I've never heard of them and I am curious.  My plan is to move more berries to zone 1, within 20 feet of my front door.

We got in 30 tomato plants and I still have 32 more to plant.  We are going to have to move the giant compost pile in the middle of the garden order to allow space for them.  I swore I would never bring home another living thing (plant or animal) until I was sure I had an immediate spot to put them, these tomatoes were another reminder.

And now for the weeds.  Having not tilled the entire space I see the grass is threatening to take over.  We are putting the goats on it but that can be tricky, too often my goat herders sleep on the job and the goats so easily drift to something that should not be eaten.

This is Arabella, she may be my favorite goat.  About once a week I'll pull her aside, hug her, pet her, tell her how much I love her then tell her to go after that little patch of poison ivy in the garden.  She does just as I say and one of these days I'm going to have to brave digging up the roots.

Nettles and lambs quarter have been plentiful.  We are harvesting what we can use.  James filled a 2 qt jar with lambs quarter for me and we covered it with apple cider vinegar.  It will sit for 6 weeks and provide an excellent calcium supplement.  

The kids are learning what plants are edible and enjoy snacking.  As Peter weeded he fed the lambs quarter directly to Charlie and Peter could not weed fast enough to keep up with the demand.  

                 
I sure wish all the weeds could be controlled by eating them but there are way too many and they so quickly can consume me if I let them.  So I've learned to operate a weed whacker, it is loud and stinky but so worth it every couple of weeks simply to find my breath in the garden.  Long term plan includes cardboard and loads and loads of mulch.  In the meantime it is chop and drop with an occasional meal for us and the goats. 

Here's a peak back at week 1 in the garden