A Season for Knitting

I love to start knitting projects and I'm very pleased when I actually finish one, it seems that happens only once a year.  This hood was started just before our trip Up North and was lucky never to even enter the basket of unfinished projects, it crossed the finish line and onto my head within just a few weeks.  Maybe it was the thrill of doing cables for the first time or the buttery feel of the wool/alpaca yarn, or maybe I was motivated by dropping temperatures, this was a project I could not put down.

I found the pattern ( Morning Glory hood ) on raverly last year after I made the gnome hats for the younger kids.  I love the versatility of it going from hood to cowl.
 

And back to hood again because it is getting cold here!  My (older) kids laugh at some of the things I wear these days but I told them to get used to me in this hood because I like to stay warm and comfortable.  There are no fashion standards to up hold here, my daughters have taught me to dress with full authenticity and spending much of my time outdoors I've learned to dress accordingly.  

Meanwhile I've decided not to start another knitting project until I finish a few things from the basket.  Next up is the stocking I started for James 7 years ago.  It is funny how obvious the change in tension is as I've picked it up and put it down several times over the course of those years.

In the basket there is also a baby sweater I started for Maryanna 8 years ago and a toddler sweater I started for James 10 years ago.  It is only in brief moments that my hands hit the needles so I cannot be sure to finish them all in this season in my life.  I'll pick them up when they call to me and finish them as there is a great need for them.  Right now we have too many sweaters to fit in our drawers but we are short one stocking so wish me luck in completing it before the season arises to hang stockings.     

  

Homeschool these days

It seems at the beginning of each new school year I tell myself, "I'm going to do it right this year", I order all the necessary supplies, create spread sheets to dictate our time and tasks and even create a complex system of rewards.  I am usually pleased how it works for the first week but have found that the rigidity of a schedule often compresses me, it creates more work than what is needed and has led to more frustration than discovery.

My vision of homeschool is one where we can inspire our children with the joy of life long learning, to take that joy and apply it in practical ways.  Specific mechanics (reading, writing, math) are introduced along side projects (and sometimes even distractions).  There is so much to do and so much already happening here on the farm that there is no shortage of opportunities to learn.  

After morning chores the younger children gather for what we call "fun school".  Basically it is an activity they can do on their own while I nurse the baby, check email, make phone calls or whatever else calls my attention.  Usually Peter directs this and being 8 years old he has the gift and ability of keeping things fresh for the younger crowd.  He has organized a stuffed animal zoo with tickets, animal plaques, a real kettle corn stand and even set up a gift shop with stickers.  In addition, they set up a dinosaur park in the sandbox, made maps to hidden pirate treasures, had bike races and played kick ball and hide and seek in the garden.  Here they are building lego castles on the front porch.  Some mornings are smoother than others and there is always a need for constant cleaning up with this age group.  

Meanwhile the time has come to outsource some schooling for the older boys.  I am not in a position to challenge them in the ways they are now ready to be challenged.  Last year James took a few online courses through Williamsburg academy and we were very pleased.  This year he begged to take almost a full load, he is taking biology, personal leadership, writing and Euclidean geometry, and it is challenging him.  Sometimes that is a good thing and sometimes it is not, but if all was well all the time we would be robbed of some of the most important lessons life has to offer.  

James is a natural scholar, his online classes are his "fun" and is more quick to do his chores when there is "more important" stuff like studying to do.  That said James does get tired of the screen and relishes the time where he can balance it out playing with his brothers outside.  

William is participating in the first year of Williamsburg intermediate academy.  This has been a good fit for him because it is project based.  The lectures are not nearly as long as the high school courses James is taking and there is much more flexibility with the assignments. He enjoys connecting with new friends online and has integrated much of our farm work into the weekly leadership projects.  When he's had too much time in front of the screen I'll find him laying under the beech tree or spending time with the animals.

We all have need to recuperate in nature.  Just last week I set the laundry, dishes and cooking aside and we dragged Paul away from his desk to play football in the hay field and hunt for firewood in the woods.  It was a perfect autumn day.

 

Our property stretches an acre into these woods but we rarely go back there.  It was a treat to be together in such a quiet secluded place.

Maryanna gasped when she discovered how black the soil was, she said it smelled so sweet and wished we could bring some to our garden.

She played in the stream and said being in nature makes her so happy that she can't help but sing, she wonders about living in nature, if it's magic, and if we'd be more loving to each other if we were always  surrounded by nature.



Maryanna took her shoes off because........"I like to feel the living dirt, it is so soft and I feel it go up my legs and into my heart".  It was in that moment that she became my teacher.  And becoming a student myself is a gift of homeschool.





 

The younger ones carried home a collection of treasures, in Clara's purse I found moss, sticks, feathers and a milkweed pod.  Henry brought his scissors to help Daddy cut some more hay.

The children do their best to keep a record of our homeschool days.



And in case you can't read it on my face, I am exhausted.  My life is overflowing, sometimes I wonder if I am the luckiest woman in the world and sometimes I wonder if I am completely out of my mind.  Day by day I'm taking it, homeschool, farming and the great responsibility I have in raising our family.  I am grateful for the opportunity to record a small portion of our days here because children grow as quickly as seasons change.

 

Seed saving with Peter

It has been a joy to eat out of our garden, and as we near the end of this year's production we are already thinking about next year.  More than any of the children Peter has enjoyed tending to the plants and was independent in furthering his interest in gardening and self sufficiency.

One of the ideas he is most excited about is seed saving.  He watched over an hour's worth of You tube videos on the subject and read about it in a few gardening magazines, I personally was not going to bother with it this year but he insisted.  And since he insisted I pretty much let him do it himself.

One of our neighbors is a master gardener so when I told her of Peter's idea she invited us over and spent the afternoon teaching us about flowers and allowed us to collect seeds from them.  I am overwhelmed with how much I want to learn and also very humbled by the knowledge and generosity that our kind neighbors offer.  And to think I ever thought I might get bored and lonely living in the country!   

Peter ended up with over 50 different types of seeds and is storing them in these mini envelopes that fit perfectly in the protective sheets for baseball cards.  They are labeled and organized in a binder that will be stored in a plastic bag in our freezer (this idea he got from a You Tube video).  The storage supplies we ordered on amazon and he was so excited about collecting as many seeds as he could that he even thought to save some from lambs quarter and yellow dock, I assured him they were already saving their own seeds in our soil.

  

Peter is hoping to collect some kale seeds because that was his best crop, he showed me the envelope that said "satisfaction guaranteed".  He was so happy with the kale crop and not so happy that we had to eat it almost everyday.  He likes to feed it to the goats but there is still much more to share.  He also thought to set up a "kale stand" but wondered who his customers would be...........

I cannot say I am the most attentive gardener, another neighbor gave me a C- on my tomato crop and I accept that as an honest score.  I will be honest also in saying that this year's garden experience was as magnificent as the weeds, there were some great successes and some even greater flops.  All that aside I feel most satisfied with the opportunity I had to share this experience with my children and the witnessing of an 8 year old boy discover a hidden talent and the passion he now displays in pursuing it.
"Satisfaction Guaranteed" indeed.

p.s. do not leave the drying seeds out on the counter at night, it might attract the interest of mice!    

Two new kittens

Maryanna and Peter had the joy of picking out two kittens a couple weeks ago.  There were 5 of them and they were irresistible, it was too hard to choose which ones would come home with us so we ended up bringing home 3 and brought one to a friend's home to be loved by all her children.

This beautiful mother cat  is also the mother or grandmother (not exactly sure) of our two cats Andromeda and Luna. We've been missing Andromeda since July, it was James' cat since "she chose him", and our hearts ache every time we think of her. It is a mystery of where she went or what happened and we still believe she may return.  About a month ago I found Clara in a corner by herself with tears in her eyes holding a photo of Andromeda, she said "I just need a private moment with this picture".  It was in that moment I got to share with her my belief of letting go to higher purposes and how it is in that space that we witness miracles.

These little kittens are not intended to replace Andromeda, James has reassured me nothing could, they are a balm to young aching hearts and will be raised to do what they do best, cuddle children and keep the mice population in balance.

This black furry one is named "Luvee" and Maryanna is hoping he "chooses her".  He really is a lovey kitten and is unique in the way he melts into the arms of who ever holds him.

This one is named Crystal.  When we picked them up she was in our friend's garden playing with a crystal.  She is unique in her beauty but will only tolerate limited handling, she loves to climb to high spaces.

Kittens are irresistible, I love the way they torture even an almost teenaged boy with their cuteness.

William is very casual in the way he allows Crystal to ride on his shoulder.  He is a natural with all animals so they are natural with him (sometimes in the most unnatural ways).

By now I'd say Luvee has "chosen" Maryanna, he actually "chooses" anyone that hold him but as you can see from the following series no one else is really given a chance.  I love to see Maryanna in full mother mode, she is a natural.

I am actually finding my cat allergy is fading the more time I spend with them, that is in contrast to the intensive itching and sneezing I experienced last year when we first brought Luna and Andromeda home. So happy that I am finding experiencing relief because it is such a joy it is to share our life with these sweet animals!

To be 5

Clara's birthday is coming up.  She's been counting the days and reminding me everyday.  She's already rehearsed the celebration plan several times, perhaps because she is worried I'll pull together a last minute surprise party and unlike Maryanna, Clara is not one for loud surprises.  While she is dreaming through the days until she is six I am simply savoring the innocence and sweetness of her still being 5, because 5 is a magic age.

Because when you are 5 the world is magic and you have the gift of reminding that to the rest of the world around you..........even me, a sometimes frazzled mother.  When you are 5 you see more flowers, fruits and blossoms than weeds.  And if you do see those really nasty weeds (like the ones over your head) it is a joy because now there is another place to hide, and anything that flowers is a flower to her.  More than anything it is the flowers that calls her to the garden, those are her flowers, she planted them and has permission to pick them whenever she wants, barefoot, still in her nightgown, with her stuffed cow still in arms........just at sunrise before anyone else is awake.

At first I thought I may have seen a ghost, through the foggy kitchen widow, that little flash of white tipped toed right passed me as I, still fixed in my adult mind, stewed over a list of the day's to do's and a steamy pot of oatmeal. And recognizing her presence there in her nightgown in the early dew and flowers was like waking up for a second time that morning.  And so I joined her......and where in the world did she find those scissors? I've been looking all over for them! Oh how hard it is for me to hold that magic space.

I can't tell her what to do in this space because this is her special place.  It didn't surprise her that the flowers came up "oh course they did, I worked really hard at it and so did the sun".

"I like how pretty they are and it is fun to pick them and bring them inside and I like how they look and....... I always watch the sunrise with you mommy because the sky is so pretty and watching the sunrise makes me happy..........when I'm five it is easy to be happy."

Her nightgown is dew soaked from dancing, and so are my toes from following her trail.  I'm thinking about that pot of oatmeal on the stove and wondering who is screaming inside, we better hurry.  But wait!  "Sister in the bushes is calling" she informs me, we read all about her in The Seven Year Old Wonder Book.  And it is a wonder, this cover crop of buckwheat, even easier to grow than weeds.  And I am told that the leaves look like hearts and this is exactly where "Sister in the bushes" prefers to hide.  This is a magic place, where both the weeds and time are stilled.

The weather is changing.  Instead of a bathing suit or sundress she now decorates herself for fall.  She  dances in the wind and drops each piece like scattered leaves, all. around. the house.  Someone please remind me, quick do your magic little 5 year old girl, turn me back from feeling like a monster and into a gentle mommy again.  And dancing in the kitchen will do it every time.

You wear it all well, your big heart and spirit and I am melted.

How about the work we do together?  I didn't know there were "outfits for stirring".  "Please don't make too big of a mess" I urge her, why am I struggling to find the fun in this?  Why do I spoil such beautiful moments with thoughts of how (and when) am I going to clean this up?

She quickly brings me back, "stirring makes my arm hurt but I still like it. I like to taste test it.  It tastes yummy because Hank said I'm a tomato picker and Hank is my friend and neighbor.  I like tomato sauce best with pasta and a spoon, even when it burns my tongue".............Perhaps I could do every task with a costume and such a smile, even when I might hurt my arm or burn my tongue?

Is it my purpose to teach her of my world or is it her purpose to remind me of hers? You know the world of a 5 year old little girl is a balmy place, it is where the whole world flowers, every rock is special and everyday conversations are expressed in gentle song.

Together with our family at Pointe Betsie I called to her because we were in a moment where our two worlds collided, of course they did, I was on vacation. "Clara, look!  the sun is setting", she casually replied, "I know, I like watching the sun rise and fall both the same, it is pretty and it happens two times a day and it is special".

I ask her if I can take a pretty picture of her in the light of the setting sun.  She answers me with a quick shift in demeanor and a sassy smirk and pose, as if to say, "no way mom, there is so much more to me than being pretty".

She liked cooking the s'mores on the beach with our family that night and especially liked snuggling with Poppy when it got cold.  I try one more time just as the sun slowly crept towards the water.  "Clara, let me take your picture in front of the setting sun".  This time her pose answered boldly....."oh Mom, you poor adult, you try way too hard, let me show you everyone has a shadow side".

Instantly after the click she was back to dancing and smiling. She suggested this rock also deserved its photo taken in the light of the setting sun. And so I clicked in a quest to discover the secrets of living in a 5 year old world.  After reviewing the photo I am told, "it kind of looks like a heart, can you see it?" Kind of, I suppose I'm almost there, or back to where I may have been over 30 years ago. 

Again, to her the whole world flowers, every rock is special and even the most everyday conversations are expressed in gentle song.  

While dressing her dolls this morning I caught glimpses and mixes of familiar lyrics set to a self composed tune:

"just like a spoonful of sugar, 

I'm following the train of your thoughts, 

and I like to see you too, forever with you." 

Hearing her sing is like watching the sunrise, it reminds me to slow down, be gentle with myself and be gentle with others as well.  She is usually one of the first ones up in the mornings, she likes to burrow under our covers and snuggling close she invites me to brush the hair behind her ears, she loves that.  

She is a wonder to me, and being the first one she greets in the morning and the last face in her eyes at night, I suppose I am a wonder to her as well.  At night she begs me not to read a story but to tell a story, one about "Rosie" the bendable bear and "Little Mermaid" the bendable rabbit going to the circus.  And then in turn I sing to each of the girls a special song, preferring a mix of familiar tunes to self composed lyrics.  I am not a singer but they have never once scolded me when I was off tune, only they request "again?" 

As I offer kisses and hugs I realize I am their sunset and sunrise as they are mine.  What a gift we are to each other, and what a gift it is to live and learn along side a wondering child of any age, even 36. Because every year is magic when you live in wonder and have the gift of reminding that to others.

Up North

Right now I'm doing a lot of laundry, dumping out piles of sand from our suitcases, finding little corners of found rocks and wondering why it took us three years of living in Michigan to make a trip "Up North".  I'm so grateful to Paul's parents for inviting us and sharing their rented cabin for the week, no one wanted to come home so I think we created a new annual tradition.  Pictured above is Nanny and Henry at Pointe Betsie enjoying the sunset and looking for special rocks.

   

There was plenty of space for us all in this bungalow cabin at Chimney Corners.  I also really appreciated the extra set of hands that Nanny and Poppy offered in taking care of meals and children.  But mostly it was just fun to be together, going on outings, lounging in the sand, staying up talking, laughing and even knitting.

Our first outing was to the fish hatchery.  I remember going there when I was a child and the smell of the facility brought the memory back to life.  The kids didn't mind the smell and really liked seeing the fish jump.

Nanny hung on to Clara the caboose who is always trailing behind collecting milkweed pods, acorns, pine cones and wild flowers.  She said she was going to plant milkweed at home and I suggested that we just enjoy them here on the little trail.

On the way back to the cabin we were surprised to find raspberries still in season.  There were plenty of hands to help with the picking and one of the favorite memories of the trip were Nanny's raspberry pancakes.  We finished off 5 pints in just days.

Another favorite outing was a canoe trip down the Platte River.  We left baby Charles back with Nanny and Poppy and loaded into three canoes.  Daddy, Maryanna and George named their boat the Dragon Boat, James, William and Clara called their's the Punching Boat and I shared a boat with Peter and Henry called the Racing Pirate Boat.  

Henry picked out a pirate hat and sword at the gift shop and was in character the whole 2 1/2 hour journey.  He got the attention of many fishermen and I had to remind him that the middle of a canoe was no place to practice sword fighting.   

 The river was remarkably clear and peaceful, and because it was just a week into the off season it seemed we were the only ones making our way down the river that day. It was easy going until we encountered some strong currents as we entered Loon Lake and it was a relief to me that our inexperienced band of canoers made it through without tipping.  There were a few crashes among us, some on purpose and some just happened and there was just enough family competition to keep tired arms rowing.  Unfortunately the Racing Pirate Boat slipped way behind on the last stretch because we got caught on a log.  Peter had to jump out and pull us out, but being a hero of a rescue mission is just as thrilling as winning a family canoe race.

The next activity was a stop at Sleepy Bear Dunes.  Half the kids were up the first dune and out of site before I even unbuckled the youngest two.  That had me racing up the dune with a baby on one hip and camera in hand, and boy am I out of shape!  I caught up to the kids but they were too quick to catch many photos.  William said it was like the planet Tatooine on Star Wars.  These boys were in constant motion running, rolling, jumping and practicing all sorts of stunts and wipe outs.  At one point they even took a sand bath acting just like the chickens splashing sand all themselves.

George made it up all by himself. He was pretty pleased with himself.

 

Going down was not as easy though so he chose the butt scoot, filled his diaper with sand and left a long trail behind him.

Charles was happy snacking on the sand.  This is the very spot that William learned to crawl just 10 years ago the last time we visited.

The girls made sand angels and somersaulted down.

It took a promise of pizza for dinner to get everyone finally back in the car.

The older boys and Daddy returned the very next morning to complete the dune hike that led to Lake Michigan.  I stayed back with the younger kids and Nanny and Poppy and we enjoyed the clear blue water and empty beach at Crystal Lake.

I was fully dressed when I demonstrated how to paddle board.  When I paddled out to waist deep water I wondered if it was a bad idea, I started laughing and wobbling and offered a good laugh to the kids and Paul's mom on how not to paddle board.  Maryanna was a natural so I'll have to take lessons from her next summer.

Meanwhile Charles could not get enough time in the sand.  He quivered the moment his toes first hit the sand.

And most of the rest of our activity was in the sand. Here is our whole company in the sand at Pointe Betsie at sunset - thank you very much self timer!

And thank you George for standing a split second to get one of the kids all together.

The rest of the evening the boys played football, the girls looked for rocks and we all snacked on s'mores.  

It was  a great trip, I especially enjoyed the moments that Paul's parents allowed us to slip away.  We enjoyed a nice dinner out a few minutes here and there on a swing just outside the cabin.  We split some cherry pie and dreamed about farming in Northern Michigan, yes it was lovely until reality hit and a call from Paul's employer caused for a shortened trip.   The kids were not the only ones heart broken.

Now that we are home the kids are continuing the fun, as I type this they have life jackets and goggles on and are "swimming" in the garden.  They also spent the morning drawing a map of all the places and activities we experienced and have filled their journals with the memories.  And I am humming the tune "yes Michigan - the feeling's forever".