River of Words

A nature hike was a beautiful way to end our week.  Leaving the city before the sun rose too high and the air got too hot, we made our way to a peaceful patch of land.  A place where we could walk amongst the aspens, anticipate what would await beyond the bend in the path, and feel peace enter our bodies with each deep inhale.  A place where we could be playful, romp with friends, and be transfixed by the little creatures we met along the way.

At the mid-way point of our hike we came to an intersection where several paths met.  It beckoned us to dump our packs, sit down in the shade and enjoy a little time in contemplation.  I brought out a book we're reading excerpts from - The Pillow Book by Sei Shonagon - and read a passage to introduce our first opportunity to write out a list poem, as suggested by a writing program I found, River of Words.   

Our family has been reading passages from The Pillow Book all week.  The author, a lady-in-waiting living in Japan about 1000 years ago, writes about nature and the world that surrounds her.  Some of her revelations are surprisingly as relevant now as they were a millennia ago.  In what we've read so far, she manages to observe the simple, finer details that one hurriedly passing by might otherwise miss.

After reading a passage, we would go around the table and add our insights to the topic of her poem.  A wedding gown might be added to the list of Elegant Things; a puppy without an owner might be added to the list of Depressing Things.  It was all very impromptu and off-the-cuff...no transcribing what was said (though there are moments I wish I had), just slipping off into a dream world and sharing the first thing that came to mind.

We did something similar while on our walk in the woods.  I prepared index cards with some of the passage titles from The Pillow Book.  We picked one...Elegant Things...then went around the circle to each person to add their own thoughts.  Each child had an opportunity to share a category or topic that wasn't on the index cards, such as Things that Fall From the Sky, Flowers, Insects.  Lastly, each child was invited to pick a card, including the blank ones not used, to write their own list.  The younger ones had an adult scribe for them while the older children worked on their own. 

Now, I sit in my kitchen with a bulletin board, and the cards we used this morning are affixed to it.  I'm not sure what permanent home this bulletin board will have, but my hope is that it will be referred to often.  New ideas can be jotted down.  Lines in the poems can be rewritten, reordered, or reread.  New poems can be mined from the lists already started.  It gives us a visual cue to think about the world around us, from the most grand and magnificent to the most minute and timid.   

Club Day. The Nature Version.

When we awoke this morning, things looked a little on the grey side.  I hurried over to the weather network and received a prediction that there would be rain in the morning - thundershowers, in fact.  Hmmm...that forecast wasn't what Nature Club called for this morning.  I headed over to Environment Canada's website, where they predicted rain in the afternoon.  Much better news!  And within ten minutes of reading that news, the skies did clear up and the sun was shining down upon us.  It was like an omen telling me to simply trust the latter prediction.

Now that it's summer and our Nature Clubbers are available morning or afternoon (or evening too, I suppose), we're soaking up the opportunity to be outside before our little part of the planet heats up too much.  I learned from last year's summer club days that the beautiful little people in our Nature Club tended to wilt under the sun's hot, hot rays.  We also have much more time to do an activity and have free time, so we can plan more elaborate outings.  Today's outing took us to a little berry patch just outside the city limits to pick some saskatoons.

Yes, our family has already picked many saskatoons this season.  Soon my freezer will be full and I'll be wondering where I can store the blueberries that will come in the next couple of weeks.  But the children who joined us today aren't as familiar with this humble berry, being from another province where they don't grow.  So what better way to learn about local, seasonal, good foods, diversity, and the joys of simply being outdoors than to experience it?

For those of you who aren't familiar with saskatoons, they look similar to blueberries but have a taste that is all their own.  They have a small seed inside them and while the seed is quite fibrous, it is edible.  Here are a few of the ways we enjoy saskatoons...

   ~ saskatoon berry muffins
   ~ mix fresh or frozen saskatoons with yogurt, cereal, oatmeal or granola
   ~ saskatoon crisp or crumble
   ~ dropped into pancake batter, or served on top of freshly cooked pancakes
   ~ saskatoon berry jam
   ~ saskatoon berry syrup (we will be mixing our syrup with club soda, as an alternative to pop.  A recipe for berry syrup is in The Homemade Pantry).
   ~ in fruit smoothies (but make sure there is a lot of liquid in your smoothie, as the saskatoons tend to absorb liquid and thicken the drink considerably
   ~ fruit popsicles
   ~ pie
   ~ just eaten by the handful!

The only thing I do not do with our saskatoon berries is dry them or make fruit leathers with them.  For me, the seed tends to take centre stage when they are dried and they do not seem to keep their sweet taste when they are dried.  Perhaps I dry them out too much, as I've read that others have successfully dried them.

If you're still not sure what to do with your saskatoons once they're picked, here are a few sites with recipes to get you started:

   ~ Recipes for tarts, scones, saskatoon berry loaf, crisp and syrup
   ~ Recipes including muffins, pudding, tea, vinaigrette, bars, squares and pancakes, just to name a few
   ~ Recipe for jam

The fruit farm tour

I feel like right now we are in the midst of whirlwind tour of u-pick farms.  For we have been blessed with the time, energy and support to make our way out to several farms to pick berries in the peak of the season.

Our first trip was on Friday, and was a drive into a picturesque valley overflowing with the summer's bounty.  Our sights were set on saskatoons, the very berry that we were so eager to pick last year, but were so bitterly disappointed with.   Alas, last year we didn't make it out until the end of the season and had hard picking, with mainly wizened berries to choose from.  No saskatoon berry jam last year.  But what a contrast this year!  The berries were big and plump, juicy and sweet!  With the help of my sweet, sweet parents, the children and I found jackpot after jackpot (as Nicholas and Jaelyn call the spots with lots of berries for the picking).  We soon had eight pails filled between the six of us (though my parents had a head start and picked most of them on their own).  Thankfully, most of my crew did there part to help out too.

Our second trip was today, with an hour's drive to the east for strawberries.  Yes, that's right, we found strawberries, and they were closer than we thought they would be.  Eight must be the number this year, as we worked together to pick eight buckets of these beautiful, sweet, red orbs.  Nicholas was such an eager picker that he picked three and a half pails by himself and wound up with a job offer to pick berries for the rest of the summer.

Now, I find us in our warm kitchen, doing the first of the processing of 2013.  Saskatoons have been frozen and poured with abandon into fruit crumble.  Our experimental recipe for the year is strawberry maple jam with vanilla (from Taproot).  If the few tastes I got are any indication, it is wickedly good.  Strawberries fill my dehydrator and my freezer.  I'm dreaming of what I can whip up with the berries that have not yet found a home.

Amid all this making and dreaming, I made some new discoveries too.  Like that my husband wrinkles his nose at strawberry pie and strawberry crumble.  That's okay...I still may pop into the library tomorrow to pick up A Year of Pies by Ashley English.  I also discovered that it is so much easier to remove jar lids from a pot of water with a magnet secured to a butter knife.  So long tongs!  And I rediscovered the simple joy of mashed berries on ice cream.  Yum. 

Let the fruit farm tour go on! 

Return to routine

Ah, welcome Monday.  Yes, a Monday where each of us rose from our own beds and greeted the day in our own special ways.  A Monday where everything returned to normal.  A Monday where we fell back into our routine. 

Last night, Nicholas and I sat down together to look to the week ahead.  I'm amazed at how grounding this simple ritual has become.  And if it wasn't good enough to give us focus, clarity and a roadmap for the week that will be, it has also truly removed much of the conflict that used to arise daily.  The man who wants to be in charge is in charge, and the mama who would like to see him touching on certain subjects is getting her wish.

During our talk, Nicholas decided he wanted to work on the Canadian Heritage badge for Cubs.  He figured out which requirements he wanted to work on and when he would work on them.  Then, we worked out how his plans would fit in context with the rest of our week.  As it turns out, his selections led to a trip to the museum this morning and some drawing by all three of the children.

I'm noticing something happening in this family.  Just like last week at the zoo, I've noticed on the last two trips that we are no longer rushing through the exhibits at the museum either.  We are there for a specific purpose.  We are intentional in which exhibits we look at.  We spend more time searching for the details.  The pace is relaxed.  I enjoy the trips, and my children, more.  Could this be an unforeseen benefit of homeschooling?  Maybe.  I think I like it!

Mushing

I look out my window to see the snow softly falling to the ground.  I reflect on how looking out this window, with a warm cup of tea and a roaring fire and knowing my little ones' tired bodies are snugly tucked into bed, would be a wonderful scene one holiday season. 

And I think about what a unique, amazing day we had today out in the wilderness.  My husband, who is always looking for that off-the-beaten path activity or place, suggested going mushing, or dog sledding, on this vacation.  We checked out the forecast and the weather looked good enough that complaints of the cold from the children would be minimal.  It was a go.

My children have a natural soft spot for dogs (and all animals, honestly).  So, having 24 happy, friendly Alaskan huskies as greeters this morning brought smiles to all our faces.  Nicholas had barely reached the sled teams when he declared that he had a favorite - Zodiac.  Jaelyn plopped herself down in front of a small, well-tempered gal named Portia, and they became good friends.  Astrin and I said hello to as many of the dogs that we could before hopping into a sled, and I discovered that some dogs preferred to be the centre of attention.  And who can resist a lovable gentleman who wears his heart on his paw?

Each sled was pulled by a team of 6 dogs.  That's 6 dogs that are likely around 60 pounds each pulling a sled that weighs more than 300 pounds!  Amazing!  They took us down the Great Divide trail at Lake Louise, right to the continental divide that also serves as the border between Alberta and British Columbia, then back.  They also pulled us through the forest for a little stretch, which was so quiet.  Nicholas and Jaelyn both had an opportunity to stand on the runners at the back of the sleds and be mushers, as well as feeding the dogs their treats when we returned to the start of the loop.

And what did we learn?  A bit about geography, a bit about the wild animals that live in the park, a bit about mushing races.  We also took home the affirmation that one can do what they love at any age, like how the mushers devoting their life energy to taking care of their dogs, while enjoying the great outdoors and some wonderful human and animal companionship.  We took home an appreciation for the amazing nature of animals.  We took home chilly toes and fingers, but warm hearts and smiling faces.

The Bowl

We have a great little spot for tobogganing by our place.  It's been lovingly and aptly named "The Bowl" because it is essentially the shape of a bowl - sledders can go down a hill from pretty much any side of it and wind up in the middle.  Every year, there are kids who build jumps at strategic points on the hill too, so there is even more of an attraction to the hill.  Today, we trekked to The Bowl for the first time this season for some winter fun. 

As I watched the children slide down the hill, I smiled at the chaos below me.  I was amazed by how narrowly kids avoided sliding over others who were either at the bottom or climbing back to the top.  I felt the sting for an older one who took one of the jumps and landed rather loudly.  I grinned as my now big two-year-old whizzed down the hill with her brother or sister.  It is, after all, just a rather large and white slide - what could be better than that?

Snow day

We had more than a foot of snow fall over the last couple of days.  Now that the sidewalks have been cleared, it was the perfect morning for snowshoeing in the park and building snow forts.  Especially with Papa home today!

Of course, the children couldn't go on their snowshoeing adventure without some sort of make-believe trailing along with them.  They imagined they were hunters, and brought along muskets for all that big game that they planned to find.  Their hunt was successful - last I heard, they brought home five moose. 

To see what we could see

I am truly feeling as though a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and that I can be fully present in mothering my children.  I feel lighter, happier, more resilient.  And with the turn of a page and the start of a new week, it seemed fitting to get a little further from home and go on a field trip back out to a nearby nature refuge.  We headed out into the world after we read a poem about Autumn from The Waldorf Book of Poetry.

This is the same nature refuge we visited in early September.  I wanted us to get out to the nature refuge at least once a month so that we could see how things change as we roll through the seasons.  And what was different in October?  At first, I wondered.  There was the absence of leaves from the trees, but that felt almost too obvious.  Slowly, it came.  Once we settled our senses and just let ourselves "be" in that little patch of quiet, it started to come, like peeling the layers off an onion.  Yes, the leaves were off the trees.  But now we could see the nests that were once so nicely camouflaged and hidden from view.  We could better see the bark and the subtle differences between the different species.  We could hear the crisp leaves under our shoes as we walked and kicked our way through them.  We could imagine a road paved of gold instead of simply the grass covered with yellow leaves. 

Then we started to hear the songs and calls of the birds.  Though the songbirds were few, they were there - hiding in the thick brush or perched in a tree branch overhead.  It took quiet on our part to hear them and search them out.  Then the quiet would unravel as the sound of geese passing overhead caught our attention!  We craned our necks to figure out where they were coming from - were they landing in the lake, or were they higher up and just passing through?  What kind of geese were they? 

As we sipped on tea and ate a snack of dried apple slices, I felt myself taken back to that magical place that I discovered when we visited Green Gables in Prince Edward Island.  I asked the children about what they saw and heard and felt.  The answers came in the form of poetry, much to my surprise and excitement! 

I truly did love today.  I was thrilled that the children didn't complain of being cold, as the wind was quite brisk despite the bright sun.  For those of you who would like to venture outside more often with your little ones as the days grow shorter and colder, here are some tips:

  ~ Dress in layers on both the top and bottom.  Think long johns, knee-high cold-weather socks, and outerwear that blocks the wind. 
  ~ Dress for weather cooler than you expect.  It's always easier to strip layers off than wish you had more to put on!  Remember mitts, hats and scarves!
  ~ If your trip involves a car ride, either keep the inside temperature as cool as comfortable, or only put on those extra layers right before you get out of the car.  If bodies get too warm and sweaty in the car, they will get too cool outside.
  ~ Excellent footwear is a must.  It can keep dew, muck, snow, and slush off toes and helps make the trek through uneven terrain easier.  For some locales, footwear that covers the ankle is also beneficial, as grasses, branches, or other plants may rub against the legs and the ankle area may not have enough protection.  Snow may seep in and make for very chilly walking.
  ~ A warm drink, such as tea, hot chocolate or soup, helps warms the hands and soul.
  ~ Keep moving!  A body in motion will keep warmer than one that is still.

Do you have any tips to share?

Enjoy your cool weather exploring!

Discovering others

Our time together from noon onwards was quite sweet.  The highlight of our day was the discovery of a homeschooling co-op, which a friend mentioned to me earlier in the week and I wasted little time contacting.  The group meets weekly, has children that are around our children's ages, and appears to have embraced similar values as us. 

We worked through our morning chores at varying paces, sat down for an early lunch, then hopped on our bikes and pedaled downtown.  The group meets at the park or library downtown during the summer months, depending on the weather.  I felt considerably less vulnerable to the judgment of others then I did even a short week ago as we walked to the park, even when I noticed one person do a double take at my children running ahead of me.  That in itself was spirit-lifting. 

And the group itself was very welcoming.  It was a low-key, relaxed get-together, where the children spent time playing, followed by show-and-tell, and finishing with a little more play.  There was time for a very welcome visit with other adults!  My family wound down the trip with a walk and visit to the library, where we could pick up more Asterix, the first book in the next series by Kathryn Lasky, and the next title in the Anne of Green Gables series.  We came back with slightly tired bodies, minds ready to drink up those books, and happy spirits.

I noticed things about my children during our time with the group, too.  Like that my son is still much more comfortable talking to adults than children his own age.  That my daughter was quite comfortable speaking about the item she brought for show and tell - she spoke so earnestly and passionately about her creation.  That our youngest was comfortable wandering off on her own to the slide she loves so much.

And I marveled at the wonderful children we met.  Some would patiently wait for the circle to be silent before starting to give hints about what they brought to share.  Some siblings had a dynamic that was remarkably similar to what I see at home, and further convinced me that there are just some things that can only be explained by birth order.  Many were quite comfortable sharing with the group.

Thanks, Mamas!  I'm looking forward to next Wednesday already!

Sour grapes...

...Yes, we were literally up to our elbows in sour grapes.  My parents grow grapes at their house, and they were especially plentiful this year.  And, after a couple of years of tediously plucking the ripe things off the vines, I think they were thrilled to pass the experience on to our brood.  So, that's where the kids and I headed today.

I've never picked grapes before.  It turns out it is easier than strawberries.  Just come equipped with a pair of scissors, a snip here and there, and a gallon pail is filled in no time.  I think we filled four gallon pails in less than an hour, and that was mainly me and Nicholas, while Astrin ate them and Jaelyn chased after her sister.

The cleaning and stemming them, though, does prove to take much more time.  But it can be made enjoyable work.  My children took turns returning the ladybugs that accompanied the grapes back out into nature.  We talked about grape-picking from the ladybug's perspective (what a terrifying event!), and contemplated even acting it out.  When their interest waned, I'm pleased to say that I didn't push them, and just let them go about the rhythm of their day, as they saw fit.

And what are we doing with all those grapes?  We originally had grape jelly on the radar.  It appears though, that cooked grape juice stains amazingly well (imagine my kitchen walls with grape juice splatter, as I poured it into our strainer).  It turns out that it stains almost instantly, and it's not showing signs of coming out easily.  So, I might need to research grapes as a natural dye agent for an upcoming project.

Despite the splatter mess, I'm still feeling upbeat about today.  We were outside.  We all learned something.  And I'm still holding out hope that my knight on a white horse will show up and turn this kitchen spotless.  If not on his own, then with a well-intentioned helper or two at his side.

How does it feel?

Despite the last day we acknowledged more than two months ago, and that first day we celebrated shortly after, today still had a vibe to it.  Perhaps it was perusing the Facebook posts last night of friends whose little ones were all packed up and ready to go.  Perhaps it was hearing the school buses careening around the neighbourhood.  Perhaps it was walking into the local school supply sections of the stores and seeing that it looked like a bomb had been dropped.  Perhaps it was all this that sent my mind back to all those first days where I was the one walking out the door and off into the world.

And then I felt this weird feeling as we emerged from our house shortly after 9:00.  What would people think if they saw my kids not in school?  This feeling was definitely non-existent during the summer, when it could be expected for three children to be with their mother in the middle of the day.  Now it feels as if we stand out in a crowd a bit.  That we're larger targets for curious questions or unsupportive comments. 

Try as I might to squelch the feeling, there is a part of me that fears being judged or labeled.  I don't know why I care what other people think.  I know the fear isn't strong enough to stop us from our field trips - indeed another one is planned for tomorrow in a more visible setting than today's.  And I'm sure the feeling will subside with time, and get more comfortable on this path we've chosen.  The unknown always has an element of scariness, doesn't it?  This is something new for us, and the learning curve is steep, and I'm sure it is like all new things - they get easier with time.

And how was today?  It was a success by my measuring sticks.  A field trip in the morning to a nearby nature refuge.  Listening to the birds, spotting a blue heron flying over the creek, checking out the crickets to discover if they were male or female, having robins flitting around our heads.  A short afternoon of reading and writing and math.  The children surprised to find there really is free time for them to choose what they will do next.  Diving into the watercolours!  Playing a game!  I'm even writing this post as supper cooks, instead of in the late hours of the evening!  Sweet!

Reflection

Today, our first day back after our vacation, was a hectic one.  There were phone calls to be returned, emails to be answered, bills to be paid, appointments to be kept, milk to be bought, piles of laundry to be done...

While I knew that we would be busy when we got back (I was thinking mainly about that garden of ours - and it surely didn't stop while we were gone), I hadn't quite expected it to feel as...well, frantic...as this.  So I'm glad my husband and I took some time to reflect before we came home, as we lazed on the porch at Milford House.  What was awesome about our vacation?  What would we change next time?

We concluded that our vacation was just the right length...we thoroughly enjoyed the places we visited and there were no inklings of homesickness.  And we have testimonials from the children on that front, too.  Nicholas, curled up on a wicker chair and holding a pillow with a pintail duck on it, gazed at me happily as I finished reading a chapter of Anne of Windy Poplars before bed.  He grinned and said, "I love this place."  Followed by, "I can't wait to get home and see our garden."

We also concluded that our children seemed happiest on the "free time" days, the day we went to the beach in PEI and the day we rented a canoe and played on the beach or in the lake at Milford House.  The periods of peace were longer, the marvels they discovered on their own were more exciting, and I suspect the memories will be a little brighter.  It wasn't that they didn't enjoy the other places we ventured to...it was just that they appeared to like those two days a little more.

With that in mind, and with the search for that elusive simplicity calling to me, I think that next year we'll stay closer to home.  We'll still go to a place where there are woods to wander in and lakes to splash in, but we won't go through three time zones to get there.  It won't feel so mission-critical that we make sure everything that will be needed is packed.  Our children won't need to struggle through jet lag, and us with keeping our patience.  We can perhaps spend less time travelling and more time just being in nature.

With that in mind, we would also be more...selective...about our meals.  We've felt on other trips that we've spent half our time hunting down healthy, soulful food.  This time, we really didn't put in the effort.  We spent much time in sit-down restaurants, silently trying to quiet that internal wondering of whether this restaurant food really was healthier than fast food.  Those meals did eat up time where we could have been doing other things, and it was pretty heavy on the pocketbook too.  Still, we knew we wouldn't be cooking up the local delights of lobster, mussels, and haddock in our hotel rooms, so we felt peace that we tried to get as much of the local flavour as possible during our stay.

While we historically vacation in August (because ball season runs from May to the end of July), I'd also like to consider vacationing earlier in the summer, before the garden explodes with produce that needs to be put up for the winter.  My parents looked after our gardens while we were gone, and besides watering it and picking things for themselves (which was all I was hoping for), they also put up 4 quarts of dills, 9 pints of sweet pickles, 3 quarts of refrigerator pickles and 4 pints of relish (their own recipe, which I'll have in my eager hands next year when the urge hits to make relish), plus whatever they kept for themselves.  How sweet they are!

In the end, it was a special trip, and we are grateful we could enjoy it together.

Catching up again

We are home now.  And it's good to be home.  The last leg of our trip was fabulous, where we stayed with the wonderful folks at Milford House in Nova Scotia.  We were immersed in the great outdoors, with few, if any, outside or technological distractions (think no Internet).  And this was good.

I did still keep up my writing, so as it is after 1:00 am Nova Scotia time (while only 10:00 pm Saskatchewan time), I'm going to simply copy and paste those writings here to catch you up.

Take care, and have a lovely week.

August 26, 2012…It’s so peaceful here

We’re on to the last leg of our trip.  We took the ferry from Saint John, New Brunswick to Digby, Nova Scotia and wound our way to Milford South.  Chris found this wonderful area that rents cabins, at a place called Milford House.  Right now, I’m sitting on our porch, looking at the lights of the cabins dance on the lake.  In fact, our cabin has its very own dock, which all of my children promptly made there way to within seconds of getting here.  Nothing seemed better than dangling feet off that dock!

And the cabin itself is so cozy.  It is truly a summer-only cabin, but it felt like home from the minute we walked in.  It is the type of place we could spend weeks in.  From the porch that overlooks the lake, to the rustic furniture, floors and walls and brick fireplace, to the smells of the pines and firs, to the sounds of frogs croaking and fish splashing, it is pure heaven.  We’re seriously considering ditching the rest of our planned outings and just having free time out here, because free time is important too.  And there is much to be learned from canoeing and hiking and fishing, and having lazy afternoons with our feet in the lake while we work out the details of those stories we started conjuring up while in the Haunted Wood not too long ago.  Learning about listening to and following our hearts, because only our hearts know when we need time to ground ourselves, when we’ve been so far from the familiar for what is, relatively, a long time for my little ones.  Learning about a slower pace of life that is far away from airports or highways.  Learning about simple pleasures.  Learning to enjoy the silence of the modern world. 

I take a deep breath in as the wind brushes my face.  It feels good here.

August 27, 2012…Land ho!

We pretended to be explorers, English pioneers to be exact, this morning and afternoon.  We traveled by canoe and entered unknown (to us) waters.  We pretended we were coming ashore at a Miq’maq camp, where we exchanged warm greetings and joined together to fish for our supper.  In actuality, we canoed to a beach and played in the water.  With the confidence that comes with wearing a life jacket, Jaelyn was able to swim to the dock not far from the beach.  Nicholas gathered enough courage to tumble off the dock and be towed to shore by his father.  We snacked and then set sail for our cabin.  We stopped at an island in the lake to explore.  Despite the island being smaller than our cabin, there were some finds.  There were little tiny frogs, a tadpole, minnows, rocks, seaweed…  Who knew you could find so much in such a small space.

Now, there’s nothing but the rest of the afternoon ahead of us…Astrin is laying down for her nap for the first time in ages and Nicholas and Jaelyn are still in their life jackets…Nicholas digging for bait and Jaelyn wading in the water swinging a stick around wildly.  From the porch, Chris is fiddling with the camera and taking a few shots, and I’m reclining and writing.  The air still smells lovely, the leaves are rustling in the wind but it is, curiously, not brushing our skin.  We have absolutely nothing planned for the rest of the day, except supper.  So, maybe I’ll convince Chris that we could rent a fishing rod, perhaps we’ll play a game, perhaps it will be silent enough for me to come up with some ideas for a few children’s stories I’d like to write.

You see, while on this trip, we’ve been more acutely aware of our conversations about what we refer to as our moral compasses and the voices we use when we talk to others.  I’m drawn to the Waldorf perspective and using stories as a mirror – to emotionally involve the child in the behaviour of others so they can think of the choices they make in their own behaviour.  I’ll be using Healing Stories for Challenging Behaviour as a guide as I write these stories.  And to tell the truth, I may even use a board game we have, Create-a-Story, to help me build the bones of the stories.  And even though these resources are at home and I am here, I think I can still come up with a few ideas while I’m surrounded by such beauty and have some rare and blessed free time. 

Of course, I likely won’t use my children’s names in the stories, and I likely won’t even use people – my stories will likely star animals as the main characters.  In fact, I’m sure I’ll be using their favorite animals as the protagonists.  And since I won’t have a large store of my own stories soon, we’ll pick up some books of fables and spend time each morning, before we set out into the world, reading through them.  Ideally, I would have a theme for each week.  Realistically, I know it will take me lots of time doing research to go that route, and that just starting bring us benefits.  And perhaps my foray into writing stories for my children will further inspire them to start writing stories of their own.

I promise to share once those stories are ready to go (and I’ve gathered up all my courage, too!)

Open to fun

Well, I thought I wasn't going to enjoy today much.  I spent a lot of mental effort last night trying to talk myself up for today.  And the main event I was less than enthusiastic about?  Going to the waterslides at Magic Mountain in Moncton, New Brunswick. 

Sounds like it should be fun, right?  But my inner adult was doing everything in its power to dissuade me that it could be fun.  After all, Magic Mountain was conjured up as an amusement park in this area, likely due to the popularity of a natural attraction - Magnetic Hill.  It seems like it should be a cheesy place where corporations are hosing poor tourists, similar to a Simpsons episode I swear I saw many years ago.  And do you remember how I love finding the soulful places off the beaten path (I wrote about that earlier in our trip)?  I don't think I would include this place on this list.

But we had some surprising discoveries before the trip to Magic Mountain.  We found the local farmer's market, and smiled and felt whole as we met the farmers who grow food for the people in this area.  We picked up some local wild blueberries, apples, baby tomatoes, green beans and carrots.  How I've missed raw veggies!  It was a little peace of heaven for me at that farmer's market.

Then, we swung over to the city's Artisan Village.  We weren't sure what to expect.  It turns out that about 20 artists and artisans share a warehouse in downtown Moncton.  It functions as a shop, gallery, and studio for the artists.  They also host workshops and on this day, they had an art teacher on hand who would do children's crafts.  It was quite the creative space we stumbled upon.

One of the artisans, who makes pottery, took my children under her wing and showed them her studio space.  She gave them some good pearls of advice...that there is no such thing as a mistake, but there are happy accidents...that "tools" can come from the most unexpected objects...that while looking at pottery is fine, it is meant to be touched and picked up too, so texture is important.  I think my children received more of an education in the art of pottery in one hour with this extraordinary woman than in a week of pottery classes!

Lastly, we headed over to Magic Mountain and spent the rest of the afternoon there.  It is an impressive park.  I don't know how many waterslides they have - Astrin wasn't too enthusiastic - but they do have a kids pool with 4 slides, a wave pool, a splash pad, a hot tub, what looks like thousands of beach chairs for lounging in, concessions, etc.  So, while my husband took Nicholas and Jaelyn to stand in line at the waterslides, Astrin and I people-watched.  When we got adventurous, we found a puddle to splash and kick in.  We dug deep to find even more courage and headed for the kids pool, where we tickled the water and tossed it in the air.  We sat near the edge of the wave pool and let the waves splash us.  We went for a lazy river ride on a tube.  We cuddled.  We smiled.  We had fun after all.

Beautiful writing

Today, the last day of our time in PEI, was spent at Green Gables.  While the name itself screams all things Anne, the site in reality pays homage to the author of those fabulous books – L.M. Montgomery.  For, as you may know, the tales of Anne, Green Gables, and Avonlea, are all fictional.  Despite that, L.M. Montgomery drew many of the landscapes from close to home.  Green Gables itself is based on the home her aunt, uncle and cousins lived in while she lived with her grandparents.  It was from this site that she conjured up Lover’s Lane and the Haunted Woods.  And today, we walked the same paths that she immortalized.

Like any walking trail in a national park, there were signs along the paths intended to provide more insight to those who seek it.  The difference here though, is that most of the information shared is taken from L.M. Montgomery’s writings – from letters, journals, and books – rather than from a field guide.  As I read the passages out loud to the children, I sighed at the incredible beauty in how she wrote.  How trees, or a brook, or a breeze, could become the fancy of fairies.  How simple things could transform into whimsical things in a magical land.  It was indeed inspiring.

The park had an activity book the children could use to get more meaning out of their visit.  And it was through these activities that I saw my children see the world in a different way.  As we walked through the Haunted Wood, my children stilled themselves so they could hear the creaks and groans of the spruce trees as they swayed in the breeze.  We talked about imagining walking the path in the dark…what if we were walking along the edge of the path and our leg brushed against a branch – what would we think it was?  What sounds would we hear if it was evening – would it be different than the sounds we were hearing during the day?  How would we feel if we looked up and the moon and stars were blotted out by the forest above?  After we finished our lunches, my children put together the bones for a ghost story, inspired by our walk in the Haunted Wood.  Later, on our stroll down Lover’s Lane, they found a quiet place to close their eyes and experience the world through their other senses…what they could hear, what they could smell, and what they could feel.  They heard the brook gurgling and the rustle of leaves.  They could feel the coolness on their skin.  They could describe this to me. 

It was as we sat by the brook and looked for trout that I thought to myself what a blessing it was for L.M. Montgomery to live in a rural setting.  How could one describe a brook as babbling or the sigh of the wind in the trees if those subtle sounds were drowned out by sirens and traffic?  How could one revel and appreciate and sing the praises of the beauty of the natural world if they were surrounded by unnatural things?  How can a mind find the space to quiet itself so the realm of imagination can be entered into if it is always under pressure to be “on call”?  Naturally, after I asked these questions, I wondered about how to provide similar opportunities for my children.  I think we are already on the path, and I wonder if there is more I can do.  Like even more time outdoors.  Like taking a moment out of every field trip to close our eyes and take in the view with our other senses.  Like more chats where we use our imaginations to conjure up a story in our surroundings.  Like continuing to read beautiful writing, so that it seeps into our conscience and our bones and becomes second nature when we ourselves put pen (or pencil) to paper.

When one is on the mend

We were afraid from the very beginning of our trip…even before we left, actually…that someone would get sick.  And someone did in the wee hours of the morning.  We’re not sure what exactly caused my littlest one to be running a fever and have a tummy ache, but we do think that some of it is due to the time change and less than ideal sleeping conditions, causing her to be run down.  So, we wondered what our day would be like, and I dreaded being cooped up in a hotel room with three little ones – one miserable because her body aches and the other two miserable because of the cramped quarters.

I was surprised that her fever seemed to be gone when she woke up this morning.  So, we started to venture out.  Today’s outings were intended to be focused on the Acadian history and culture on the Island, which we started to take a look into when we read Banished from Our Home.  I had decided to ensure we had some longer car rides if we did head out, although this is relatively speaking – it is a small island!  On top of that, we were getting a later start.  So, instead of heading to Rustico to check out an old Acadian homestead, we headed for the Acadian Museum in eastern PEI.  Our tour started off with a video of the history of the Acadian peoples on the Island and where the culture is at today.  Then, we moved into the exhibit hall.  Nicholas was quite into reading through all the exhibits (provided I did the reading).  Jaelyn had immersed herself to her own satisfaction through the video and wanted no part of reading the exhibits, so it proved a tricky balancing act!  The last hall featured art by Acadian Islanders.  The car ride was relatively long, the tour was relatively short, and Astrin was content to be strapped to my front.  Given the way it could have gone, I still rate the stop a success.

We ventured further into the “Evangeline” area and found the Bottle Houses.  It is a collection of three houses and gardens, built by a local Acadian out of recycled bottles and cement,  They were constructed in the 1980’s, and underwent repairs in the late 1990’s due to the impacts of the spring thaw on the materials.  We didn’t get into the science of this though – the children simply didn’t have the interest.  We did talk about the symmetry of the designs instead, as this was easier for all of us to discuss.  We also learned about how Acadians would plant their vegetable and herb gardens, and tried our hand at guessing what all the plants were.  Mostly though, we just enjoyed the beauty and ingenuity of the creations.  It makes me want to create something with bottles and cement in my backyard! 

Our evening was very low key – unfortunately, Astrin’s fever returned.  The children wrote letters while their sister had a bath and napped on my lap (all the extra cuddles are about the only good thing that comes out of a little one being sick, yes?).  I asked the older children what they needed so they could quietly fall into a peaceful slumber.  Later, they snuggled into bed and I started reading Anne of Windy Poplars to them.  I counted backwards from 5, turned out the lights, and it’s been fairly quiet ever since.  No one really even moved as I fired up the computer to write this post.

Here’s hoping that peaceful slumber lasts all night long.

Catching up

We've been on the go for the past 3 days.  We've moved on to Charlottetown, PEI, and will be spending another two days on this glorious island.  We've done lots and there much left we'd like to do while we're here.  Here are the highlights so far:

  ~ Yesterday was all things "Anne" we could fit in.  "Anne" is the infamous character in the Anne of Green Gables series written by L.M. Montgomery, an Islander herself.  We visited the town of Avonlea and kater went to see Anne of Green Gables:  The Musical.

  ~ This morning, we toured Province House here in Charlottetown.  Charlottetown is known as the Birthplace of Confederation.  We learned a bit about our country's history, before it became a country.

  ~ This afternoon, we all headed to the beach.  There wasn't much swimming done by my children, but oh so much to immerse themselves in!  There were tides to be learned about and seen first-hand (we got there at high tide).  There were hermit crabs to discover, capture, and investigate, before releasing them again.  There were rock crabs to chase.  There were shells to find.  There was rich red sand to dig in. 

The challenges so far have been getting three children to fall asleep quietly, while all staying in one room.  If anyone has suggestions, let me know!

The tale of a town

Right now, after laying children down for sleep, I'm pondering how travel for me has changed as I and my family have grown.  How once I was attracted to the bright lights and box stores of a city.  Now, I search out places for hints of the city's vibe...where it's been, what it is now, what it dreams for the future.  I look for the quiet places off the beaten trail.  The places the locals know well, but aren't always on the glossy pages of the visitor guides at the info centre.

We made it to lovely Halifax, Nova Scotia yesterday, after a very early wake up call and long day of flights and airports.  After we were finally  back on land and comfortably settled into our hotel, we walked along the wharf on our way to supper and enjoyed an equally leisurely walk back to the hotel.  We sniffed the salt air that felt foreign to most of us (Nicholas was positive the beach close to our town smells the same way).  We enjoyed the lively atmosphere as fiddlers played traditional Celtic music for restaurant- and bar-goers.  Each open-air place we strolled past was packed with people who looked younger than us.  It looked like a fun place to be. 

We are staying in a historic area of the city, where many buildings are designated heritage properties and have been around for more than 200 years, despite some violent events.  Some of which are being so severely remodeled  that only the street-facing walls remains.  Some of which are empty, waiting for new tenants to breathe fresh life into them.  Some of which were likely welcoming on weekdays for the business crowd, but closed on weekends due to lack of traffic.  And still others which have seemed to embrace social responsibility and have covered their roofs with solar panels.

A few blocks from our hotel lies the Citadel, deemed an impenetratable fort that was built by the British in the 1800's.  Our children, my son particularly, enjoys history and tales of war, so this was a must-see on our trip.  And it lives up to its billing - it is a massive, imposing structure.  The staff, who work in period costume and carry out many of the drills troops used to do, are all extremely knowledgeable about the history of the fort, the city, the country, and its European roots.  There were special events planned for this Saturday to commemorate the War of 1812.  Despite all this, there seemed to be few visitors, at least compared to what we have experienced in the past.  We wondered why this was.

So, I've been struggling to put together what I'm seeing and what the vibe is for this first city on our vacation.  I see strong ties to its sea-faring background, its deep love for its traditional music and arts, and a culture that encourages creative expression.  A culture that has seemingly always found ways to come together, maybe out of necessity due to its economy being so closely linked to disastrous events (like the multitude of wars that have occurred over the last 200 years).  Sad times during the "good" times when money was aplenty.  Happy times during the "bad" times when there was peace but little prosperity. 

I suppose it is rather impossible to truly figure out what a city is all about in one day.  I guess the beauty of such wonderings is that it whets the appetite to find out more.  It becomes one of those places you know you'll head back to one day.

A comforting review

Yesterday, one of my son's friend's called to see if he wanted to play.  He politely declined.  I was curious why, so I asked him.  His answer?  "I just want some family time."  So, last evening and today, we had family time at our local Folk Festival.


We started together, we finished together.  We drifted apart to do the things each of us loves to do best.  Inevitably, we always drifted back together again.  It was just the way it was meant to be.

I'm comforted knowing that our children feel in their hearts and souls that our home...our family...is a safe place.

The sound of music

My little ones and I have been busy bringing in as much local bounty as possible these last few days.  We made an attempt to pick saskatoons on the weekend.  This was a mild bust, as it was the end of a very short season, and a lot of the berries were shriveled.  The good ones were up high, where the children couldn't get at them.  Nevertheless, we picked three buckets and have frozen most of them for use during the winter.  I'm grateful my husband was there to help!  Saskatoon berry crumble and saskatoon berry muffins will taste awfully good come January!

Today, the children and I set out in the morning to pick peas.  I had planned to go out Tuesday evening by myself, but the weather forecast was not looking good and I feared we'd be at the tail end of pea season by the time the fields dried up!  So, today it was - me and three children picking peas on a hot summer morning.

The heat makes everyone slow and sluggish.  So, how to get those peas picked quickly with my little helpers doing their fair share?  Well, at first, they were pretty creative on their own.  They chose the plants that they going to "do an operation on" and then they set to work.

But near the end, even picking the perfect plants for operations wasn't enough to keep them going.  So, I started to sing.  Simple songs that they all know - Mr. Sun by Raffi, She'll be Coming Round the Mountain, I've Been Working on the Railroad, It Ain't Gonna Rain No More.  After that, my mind went blank.  The children made up their own songs. One about how they are looking forward to winter (!), and then one about how the harvest would magically be done instantly before winter came.  And the picking went quicker, the sun was a little less blistering, and our companionship was a little stronger while we sang.

I've come to realize that my on-demand repertoire of songs is short.  I vow to get more acquainted with songs from the past that were used to make long days in hot fields more enjoyable.  I already have This is the Way We Wash A-Day in our library that I'll dust off and start learning from.  I'll need to put in more of an effort to read and remember the songs in All Together Singing in the Kitchen.

Did I mention that there's much to learn in this homeschooling gig?