Flying by the seat of our pants

We're into day two of single parenting in this household while my husband enjoys a conference in Banff, Alberta.  I must say that while I am looking forward to going to bed early tonight to recover from the last two days and brace myself for the next four, my children are probably looking forward to it more!

Why the late night you ask?  Our community was dealt a devastating blow last night, as our school board decided to demolish the century old school that has served as the gateway into our beloved neighbourhood.  In fact, it is the oldest school in our entire city.  While I'm pretty sure that if I asked my children if they would like to return to school next year they would say "no", both they and I are upset by this decision.  Somehow, both child and parent who have grown up in an increasingly materialistic society have learned to love and appreciate the beauty of the old days.  I think we feel the soul that such a heritage building exudes and we know such a soul can never be replaced.  I think we are hurt by the profanity of a society not making the time, effort or resources available to keep this "ornately simple" (as described by the architect) building in shape for the next 100 years.  I think we are angered by an administration that does not listen to the concerns of its citizens and is not willing to explore the alternatives available to it (for, like most decisions, there are several options available if one only opens their eyes and looks).  If any of you have witnessed or been part of a movement to save a heritage building, please let me know what has worked and not worked for you.



As timing would have it, it was my turn to facilitate at our homeschool co-op gathering today.  We skimmed the surface of flight.  I started off the session by reading an excerpt from Wings by Jane Yolen, which tells the story of Daedalus and Icarus.  (As an aside, I really love the telling of the Daedalus story in Daedalus and the Minotaur by Priscilla Galloway.  It's a much longer read, but gives deeper insight to the heart and mind of a genius).  Then, we compared a bird in flight to a plane in flight.  We talked about the aerofoil shape of both and how this shape gives both lift.  We attempted to make paper helicopters to demonstrate lift.  Finally, we set about making paper airplanes.  We compared the planes that went far to those that traveled a shorter distance.  Often, planes with sharp folds done symmetrically and with a sharp nose went further because there was less drag, or friction, as the airflow went over the planes.  Several of us experimented on design alterations that would cause the plane to turn. 

I'm still fascinated with how a room can quiet when a story is being told.  I'm amazed at how much Greek mythology our family has read this year, with all of it being tied directly to some science project or concept we're exploring.  I'm thankful that Nicholas is often willing to help some of the other children in the projects we do.

I also learned a bit about facilitating these sessions:

  ~ I observed that experiments done at home sometimes don't replicate when shared with a larger audience. Sadly, this topic (or any physics-related topic) isn't one that I'm well-versed in, so trouble-shooting was tricky.  Lesson learned:  go with what you know. Other lesson learned:  it's time to start diving into these topics here at home!  Our first tour will be guided by The Wright Brothers for Kids.  And I'm sure we will build every plane featured in Origami Paper Airplanes.

  ~ I discovered that children have just as much difficulty as some adults in interpreting the drawings for how to make origami anything.  While I resist the notion of telling a person how to do something in order to make something specific and prefer open-ended choice, it can be frustrating to those not comfortable with such an approach.  Lesson learned:  very slowly and deliberately walk the children through one simple airplane design before encouraging the children to tweak their designs or come up with innovative new designs.

Finally, I am so thankful for the fabulous moms that come together every week for our co-op.  They bring inspiration, practical ideas, vision, and support.  Thanks, ladies, for the light you bring to my weeks.

Mr. Moon

There are moments that I'm so humbled to witness and where I feel in awe of the incredible complexity of my children.  The moment I experienced today blows my mind so much that I struggle to put into words what I saw in the window to the soul of my littlest Astrin.

All started out very harmless and routine.  I was helping Astrin on to the potty.  I usually sing to her while she sits, and for whatever reason, I sang Mr. Moon this time.  Here's how it goes:

     Mr. Moon, Mr. Moon
     You're out to soon
     The sun is still in the sky
     Go back to bed 
     And cover up your head
     Until the day goes by

As I finished the song, she frowned.  Then she asked me to sing it again.  This time, she frowned and her lower lip pushed out into a little bit of a pout.  But again, she asked for an encore.  Her eyes looked troubled.  After the fourth song, she couldn't contain it any more.  She burst into tears.  I held my little one as she sobbed into my shoulder.  "No go bye," she wailed.  Now I understood.  She thought I was singing of a farewell, which very well could be tearful. 

"Oh, baby," I crooned as I wiped those very real, sad tears away and rubbed her back.  "It's not good-bye.  It's just come back a little later.  Rest for a little longer.  Get a little bit more sleep until night time."

Our conversation took a turn as she became very concerned about the whereabouts of her cousins and aunt.  Where were they? she demanded to know.  While I told her factually where they were, in retrospect, perhaps telling her they were safe and we would see them again soon would have been more helpful to her.  I don't know.  

Such strong emotions for such a little one who often happily relishes the role of being the baby of the family and all the silly, clownish stunts being the baby entails.  Did I catch a glimpse of empathy for a moon being cast out?  Or sincere sadness for the farewell of a friend?  Or relating farewells in a song to the absence of family that she adores?  Again, I don't know.  I do know that I am thankful for the reminder of the fragile souls, hearts and minds that I live, learn, and grow with every day, and that they need and deserve every ounce of love and support that I can give them.

Painting day

We enjoyed a very intimate and special holiday variety show with the friends and family of our homeschooling co-op.  I think this is the first holiday concert I've been to where I want to weep with happiness.

Our co-op did a short skit loosely (and I do mean loosely) based on The Trouble with Trolls by Jan Brett.  Each child chose what animal they would be and was responsible for putting together a costume.  One of the mama's narrated the story while the children acted it out.  Then, each child could perform anything of their choice, if they were so inclined.  We had dancing, violin, drums, singing, a poetry recitation...a true variety show!  After, we shared treats, tea and juice, chatted, and further strengthened the bonds of our small but amazing community.

When the concept of what we would do as a group really started to materialize, Nicholas was less than enthusiastic.  One of the other mama's in our group picked up on that and suggested he do some set design.  Then, of course, Nicholas got very intensely involved in designing and constructing his costume, so the set was pushed to the wayside.  Then, Friday began, he was satisfied with his costume, and both he and Jaelyn were excited to start on the set.

I found a sheet at the thrift store and laid it out on the basement floor, and they gathered all their painting supplies.  After that, my sole job was to keep Astrin and the dog out of the basement.  We accomplished that by taping some kraft paper out on the table so that Astrin could paint to.  I, meanwhile, drew some tree pictures that would eventually be stencils for another paint on fabric project.  These trees were intended to hide the kids while they waited for their turn to go on stage, and will later become temporary walls in our basement studio.  The project came out of Imagine Childhood by Sarah Olmsted.

Here's how it all came together (well, how half of it came together):

A trip to the vet

We've been making weekly trips to the vet for the last three weeks.  It turns out that our dog, Boomer, has an ulcer in his eye - ouch!  The weekly vet visits are to monitor its healing.  Unfortunately, it's taking longer than normal for his poor eye to heal.  So, he had a very quick and minor surgery today and is now sporting a new look.

As you may guess, he's feeling a little down right now.  He wasn't the most agile pooch to begin with, and he's even more clumsy now that he can't see (because of both his eye and the cone)!  So, there's lots of noise and things being knocked down (read:  two-year old) or knocked into (read:  this Mama's legs, the walls, the doors, anything that sticks out of a flat surface - take all the knobs on our drawers, for example).

All of these vet visits have been attended by my children.  They have had the opportunity to learn from someone other than me.  "Why are you putting that neon goop in his eye?"  "What does the blue light you're shining in his eye do?"  "What is an ulcer?" "What does that medication do?" - all questions patiently answered by our vet.

Today, the vet entered the world of play in our house.  Jaelyn fashioned herself some vet tools and set up shop in a small corner of our living room.  I brought in her stuffed animals for their annual check-up.  Her business is going so well in fact, that she is offering check-ups free of charge.

The lights had to be turned off so Jaelyn could look in Wolfie's eyes with her special blue light

Jaelyn checked his ears with a Q-tip to make sure they were clean

Jaelyn listened to Wolfert's heart beat with her home made stethoscope

Thank you Doctor Selinger!

Mister Golden Sun

Oh, how it takes extra energy when my husband goes out of town for work.  I arrived home from errands at 5:00 and wondered what would be for supper, and was welcomed to the phone ringing and toddler frantic to be the one doing the talking.  Fortunately, all is well now...the children are content to play while supper cooks, and I have a few spare seconds to write this post.

We're continuing on with our solar system theme this week.  Last week we had an overall glimpse of the solar system.  For the next couple of weeks, we're diving into one planet at a time.  We will be mixing facts about the celestial bodies with ancient mythology to make for some interesting storytelling.  We'll also be working on a felted solar system swag that the children will be able to hang in their doorways - our version of the classic solar system mobile.  Today, the focus of our attention was the Sun.

We started off with a poem about the Sun from, you guessed it, The Waldorf Book of Poetry.  Then we read a page from The Planet Gods, which introduces both myths and facts about the solar system, with really amazing illustrations.  We gathered Sun facts from One Million Things:  Space.  Lastly, we read Apollo, which shared several stories about this Greek (and later turned Roman) deity.

Lastly, we wet-felted the first of our solar system orbs.  Large, yellow, and fluffy, all three children were happy to dip their wool into the soapy warm water and roll it between their hands until it formed a ball.  Later, we noticed that the yellow fluff just barely visible on our felt balls could resemble the Sun's atmosphere - it's corona.  There were also a few bits of debris in the wool that became sun spots.  We had fun with this one.  Once the balls are dry, we'll add just a hint of orange to give our suns "granulation" - what makes the suns surface look like an orange peel and is caused by hot gases rushing from the core to the surface - by needle felting some orange over top.

And what would you know - as we finished up our felt balls, the real sun actually popped its head out from behind those grey clouds and bathed our kitchen in light!  Apollo must have known we were talking about him!

Open spaces

One of the things that I'm feeling and loving about this homeschooling gig is the space that comes with it.  The space to deep dive and explore.  The space to follow a child's interest and take the time to follow it well.  We had another such opportunity today.

My son recently joined a coin club.  At his first meeting, he was given three banknotes from different countries and was given the task, by the next meeting, to learn where they were from and what they were worth.  Which is pretty easy when the notes are written in English, and a little more work when they are a different language but the same alphabet.  It's an altogether ball of wax when the notes are written with a different alphabet - like this:

What a wonderful ride we had on the internet superhighway!  Nicholas suggested we type "Kynoh" into our search engine and from there we learned about the geography and history of eastern Europe, had a brief introduction to macroeconomics, and learned about exchange rates.  We eventually learned that this note was from the Ukraine, it was called a karbovanet, and that it was worth less than a cent before the country changed currencies.  We spent most of our morning learning about the other two banknotes too, a dollar from Trinidad and Tobago and a guilder from the Netherlands. 

As I prepared lunch, I mentioned to him that our morning was one of the reasons I was so excited to homeschool.  If I were still working, he likely wouldn't be in the coin club in the first place, let alone have the time to deep dive into the research we did this morning.  I am so thankful for this road we are on.

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!

"Thankful-for's" ~ part III

We were bustling today preparing turkey dinner for our families who live nearby.  There was stuffing to make, a bird to clean and dress, potatoes to peel and cut, whipped cream to whip up, and pickles to cut.  We have much to be thankful for today...

  ~ family who brought smiles, good food and good company to share, and patience while our turkey finished roasting
  ~ my knight in shining armour who swept and scrubbed the floors, after doing load after load of dishes yesterday
  ~ knitting side-by-side with my daughter
  ~ grandparents who can talk my children's language
  ~ traditional dishes and those that are new to the table - both exceptionally scrumptious
  ~ many hands to make clean up a breeze
  ~ storytime at the end of the night

I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving weekend!

Thankful for's ~ part II

Today I'm thankful for...

  ~ finding the camera
  ~ children who love to help cook in the kitchen
  ~ good conversation with family last night
  ~ getting two rows knit for a Christmas present
  ~ having time to preserve the rest of our tomatillos
  ~ feeling ready to have family over for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow!
 

"Thankful for's"

Our family has a mealtime tradition where we each share our "thankful for's" at supper.  It is quite an informal time, where sometime during the meal we each share something (or many things) that we found ourselves thankful for.  We know that something is amiss when we miss a couple of days due to an overly hectic schedule - I usually feel that little gentle voice inside me asking for the pace to slow.  And we've had to navigate around squabbles such as who gets to go first, how to make sure everyone gets a turn when it was an especially wonderful day and there was much to be grateful for, and the days where someone perceives there was nothing to be thankful for.  But generally, it is a feel-good time during our day that I look forward to, and I know our children do too.

Given that it is Thanksgiving weekend in Canada, I'm going to dedicate space in this blog for some of the things that I'm grateful for.  Today, I'm thankful...

  ~ that my husband safely made it home from a business trip
  ~ that my husband made a lovely red lentil dish for supper that oh so soul-satisfying on a cool autumn day
  ~ for the earth's bounty that we harvested, enjoyed, or will enjoy during the long winter months
  ~ for children who appear to be thriving in this little homeschool of ours
  ~ for a chance to put up my feet in the evening, read and soak in the inspiration for all the made-with-love gifts that we will start making soon!
  ~ for a chance to get out on my own and run some errands
  ~ for the thriving, bustling, feel-good neighbourhood we call home
  ~ for a Thanksgiving meal with family tonight

Is there anything you are especially grateful for today?

Bedtime

Tonight, as I close the windows for the first time in a long time, anticipating a cold night and cool day tomorrow, I'm again reminded that the snow will fly soon.  As the days have passed by, I've again been startled at how quickly it gets dark and I'm reminded that now there is more darkness than daylight.  Tonight, as I tucked the children into bed after getting home late from Scouts, I'm reminded of a bedtime routine held dearly by all of us during the winter months and I'm thinking that we'll need to reintroduce it soon. 

This routine started while we read Anne of Green Gables.  In this story, there is mention of Anne saying her prayers by candlelight.  We had recently made some beeswax candles as part of our Solstice celebration.  So, Jaelyn and then Nicholas both decided they would like to have a candle in their room and say a little prayer before bed.  They would close their doors and ask us not to listen, so I am not sure what their prayers sound like.  Then, they would blow out their candles, crawl in to bed, we'd hug and kiss goodnight, then I would sit outside their rooms for one quick story to send them off to dreamland.  We had a few go-to books that we would read these short-short stories from Seven Times the Sun, Healing Stories for Challenging Behaviour or Earth Child (which contains little "dreamstarters" with an ecology theme).   Other times, we would borrow a poetry book filled with bedtime stories from the library and read a short poem.

Why did the routine end?  Well, May likely would have arrived and in our house, that means that any semblance of a routine disappeared - too many activities and too much sunshine still streaming in through the windows! 

But now, it's dark and the pace of life is less frantic.  The soft glow of candlelight feels like just the right thing for these longer nights as we retreat inside, both literally and perhaps figuratively as well.

Wishing you all pleasant dreams tonight!

Giving to others

Today, we took a lesson about giving to others.  We visited the women's shelter a friend of mine works and donated some clothes and toys. 

Our path to get to today was unexpected, as most paths usually are, I suspect.  And it started out in a less than giving manner.  It started when my daughter brought home a stuffed animal that she had won.  I can't remember if this was before the great purge or after, but I reacted in a less than hospitable way to the arrival of yet another stuffed animal.

"But Mama," Jaelyn whimpered.  "I love this animal."

I was less than convinced.  "Did you even know that such a creature existed before you won this?  You've only had it for 30 minutes - how can you love it when you really haven't had it that long?  What about your other animals?  Do you love this one more than those other animals?  Should one of them leave your room if you decide to keep this one?"

After bickering back and forth, I finally hit exasperated and barked, "There are children in this world, in fact, in this city, that don't have even one cuddly toy to sleep with at night."

This brought about silence, and then, "Where, Mama?  Where are the children in our city that don't have toys?"

The first thing that came to my mind was the women's shelter.  And it was what I tried to explain, in a gentle way.  I told them that some women need to quickly leave their homes with their children so that they can all be safe, and they sometimes don't have time to pack their things.  After answering a few questions, Nicholas and Jaelyn agreed that the new stuffed animal could go to the women's shelter.  I told them I would pack up some other items, like maternity clothes, baby clothes that Astrin had grown out of, and other toys that are no longer used and we would take them down together.

A few days before we planned to drop off our donation, I received a note that winter clothes were needed.  So, I went through those last night and dug out some hats, mitts, and a winter jacket.  By the time everything was packed up, we had filled a very large garbage bag.

I was still fielding questions the night before we left and this morning.  Would we ever need to go to a women's shelter?  Would I just go myself?  Would boy children be allowed to go to the women's shelter?  I answered what I could and encouraged them to ask questions when we stopped by.

The children didn't know what to expect, and were surprised that the women's shelter looked just like an ordinary apartment building.  They asked a few questions, answered a few, then we were on our way.

I hope that the items we shared today will make the road a little easier for a family learning to heal itself.  And that we can make giving a part of our everyday life.

Thoughtfulness

As we continue on this learning journey together, I'm compelled to notice the amazingness that is my children.  Was it there all along?  I think so - I just don't know if it was buried by all the tensions they faced in getting through a day, or if it is that we are together more and live at a slower pace that I can take the time to notice it.

Today, my children found a mouse in our garage.  I was disgusted, and simply wanted to let my husband deal with it - I deal with creepy-crawlies of the eight-legged variety in our house and he deals with all the others.

That was not to be however.  My children insisted this little visitor have a proper burial.  A grave was dug, the tiny body was covered, crosses were made, inscriptions were written, and they were placed in just the right place.  A quiet moment of silence, followed by a wish that the little creature find its way to heaven and be happy there.

Yes, they have as much to teach me as I have to teach them.  Today, they reminded me that all things, both big and small, deserve respect.

Caring hearts and hands

This morning was to be a traumatic one for my littlest.  She chipped a tooth at the beginning of August, and today was the day she was scheduled to have it repaired.  We needed to be up bright and early, she couldn't have anything to eat or drink, and she would be taken into the operating room by one of the nurses.  I would see her again when she had woken up, and we would need to stay at the surgical centre for an hour, with her IV in, before we could go home.

Things went better than I expected.  She woke up in quite good spirits, didn't mention wanting anything to drink, and was content to play with me in the waiting room.  She was content to be weighed, measured, and have her temperature taken with a stranger, so long as I was there.  She didn't cling to me too much when it was time for her to leave me, and she didn't cry for me at all.  What a brave little one.

The dentist indicated she came through the surgery quite nicely.  And then I could hear the screaming.  Yes, she woke up literally kicking and screaming.  When I took her from the nurses arms, she was quite clear that she was uncomfortable, disoriented, scared, and desperately wanting that IV out.  No, she didn't want a sticker.  No, she didn't want to read a book.  No, she didn't want to walk around.  She wanted that IV out.  And, something to eat, once we found the right words (because of course she doesn't know what a "popsicle" is, but she does know what a "snack" is).

My family continues to amaze me with their generosity, as I again witnessed when we arrived home.  A rush to the door to greet us.  A big sister painting a picture for Astrin.  A big brother sharing his owls and ready to play with Astrin.  A papa with frozen smoothie sticks at the ready.  Intentions of writing love notes and cleaning the kitchen for me.  All good, thoughtful stuff.

Thank you to my caring little and big ones for making a difficult day a little bit happier and nicer!

Giving a bit of ourselves

Today was my nephew's second birthday.  And what was planned to be a single, simple, handmade gift turned into 3 simple handmade gifts! 

I made that sweet little boy a stuffed owl based on the tutorial I found here.  It was quick to put together, as I did all the cutting and most of the sewing in less than an afternoon.  I stuffed it and sewed it up during the week as I helped the children with their bookwork, so they could actually witness me doing something I love to do. 

My children were thrilled with the little owl.  I think that seeing me make something from start to finish got them inspired to give from their own hearts and hands too.  Jaelyn made a card, then decided to give our little nephew a hot-off-the-table watercolour painting and a picture of herself.  Nicholas then got in on the action and brought down a painting he had done about a year ago.  It was a painting that was like a picture find - he had various objects scattered through the painting, and a legend at the top that indicated how many were in the picture.  He added the instructions, signed his name, and it was ready to go!

It was with full hearts that we packed these goodies up for this wee little one.  Happy birthday, sweetie!

Allowance day

Today is allowance day, and I'm reminded of when my daughter was first learning about money.  She was having a difficult time remembering how much different coins were worth, and couldn't remember how many quarters made a dollar.  So, we pulled ideas from different teaching methodologies to help her out.

First, I planned an activity based on the Montessori methodology.  Jaelyn and I found a quiet corner.  I pulled out one of each coin, named it, pointed to the picture on the "tail" of the coin, and the amount.  She held each coin and repeated the name an amount.  Then, we played a silly little game, where I would ask her to put the coins in different places - say a penny in a shoe, a nickel under a mat, a dime by a door and a quarter on a table.  After that, I would ask her to move the coins to different places, in random order.  So, she would need to remember the name of the coin and where she put it.  Once we had ran out of places to put coins, we huddled together again and I asked her to name each coin for me.  This stuck.

To help her learn the number of quarters to make a dollar, I turned to the Waldorf methodology.  I thought that if I could make up a story that would be relevant and interesting, it might click for her.  I remember laying awake in bed one night coming up with this story.  When it was allowance day, I gathered up four quarters and a dollar, as used them as props.  To understand the story, it might help to understand what our coins look like.  A quarter has a caribou on it, and our dollar is a gold-coloured coin. 

The Four Caribou Herders, original version

Once upon a time, there was a lone caribou herder living far north in the frozen tundra.  He had a herd of 25 caribou (point to the caribou and the number 25 on the coin).  He would always make sure that his herd had enough to eat, so he was always needing to wander the north looking for more food.  Because he was always moving to different places, it was hard to make friends.

But one day, as he was moving his herd, he met another caribou herder!  They were both glad to meet someone else!  They chatted for awhile and really enjoyed one another's company.  The second caribou herder had 25 caribou in his herd too (point to the caribou and the number 25 on the coin).  The first caribou herder said, "Would you like to travel with me?  I've been so lonely and I really like having someone else to talk to."  The second caribou herder agreed, and the first herd of 25 and the second herd of 25 became 50 (bring the two coins together into one hand, representing that they are the same herd).

The two caribou herders and their herd of 50 roamed the tundra, and as they roamed, they talked and shared stories.  One day, they met another caribou herder!  He had 25 caribou in his herd (point to the caribou and the number 25 on the coin).  He was moving his herd to a place that only his family knew about, because there was much for the herd to eat there.  He invited the other two caribou herders to join him, for he liked their company.  So the 50 caribou joined the 25 caribou and they became a larger herd of 75 (bring the three coins together in one hand). 

The 3 caribou herders and their herd of 75 followed inuktuks (rock formations laid by Inuit people) until they came to a valley that had enough food for the herd.  They lingered in this spot for many days, and the three caribou herders told stories by the fire and laughed lots.  They enjoyed being together.  Eventually, the caribou needed to move on to more food, so they packed up camp and set out to find more food.  As they came out of the valley, the met a fourth caribou herder, and he too had a herd of 25 (point to the caribou and the number on the coin).  When he heard about how the caribou herders helped one another, he asked to join them.  And they agreed heartily.  The 25 caribou joined the 75 caribou and they became one large herd of 100 caribou.

Eventually, the Queen heard the story of the 4 caribou herders who helped each other out, and their herd of 100 caribou.  She asked to meet them.  When they met, she gave each of them a gold coin (show the gold coin) to celebrate how they shared and helped one another.  She told them, `The gold coin is worth 100 cents - 1 cent for every caribou in your herd.  But 100 cents sounds funny, so when you hold this coin, you can also call it 1 dollar.

The end. 

I haven`t told that story to Jaelyn for some time.  I was reminded of it today, though, so I asked her to retell it, just to see what she remembered.  Here`s what she told me:

The Four Caribou Herders, as retold by Jaelyn

Once there was a caribou herder going along.  There were 25 caribou in his herd.  He was walking along and he found another caribou herder.  And then they started talking and one said, "Why don't we go together."

And the other one said, "Sure".  And then they had 50 caribou.

And they were walking along and the caribou were eating and then another caribou herder came along.  And so they said, "How about we get together?"

And the other one said, "Sure".  So they went together and he also said, `I know where to go to get food for our caribou`.  So they went along.  There were 75 caribou in their herd.

And so they were eating and walking along and then another caribou herder came along.  And so they all three said, `how about you come with us?  We know where to go.` 

So he said, `Sure I'll come along`.  And how many caribou were in the herd?  100.

Then the queen called them over and they came over and she said, "Because you were being so generous by letting people into the herd, and you have lots of caribou and were sharing, you deserve having a gold coin, which is a dollar.  Instead of saying 100 cents, you can call it a dollar."

The end.

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.

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.

Prairie cherries and other local delights

My husband stumbled across this wonderful group late last winter, at a seed exchange.  They are called Fruit for Thought, and their idea is so ingenious and yet so simple...organizing a group of volunteers to find local fruit trees that are not picked and picking the fruit (with permission of course!) so that it doesn't go to waste.  A portion of the fruit goes to the homeowner, a portion goes to the volunteers, and a portion goes to local Food Bank and shelters.  They hold preserving sessions too, where a group of people get together to put up their fruit for the winter.  We signed up as volunteers right away, and our first "call to action" was last night.

I wish I had brought my camera, but maybe their blog will have pictures that another volunteer took.  My children were standing on their father's shoulders, climbing ladders, and climbing trees.  They learned how to pick apples "the old-fashioned way" by shaking branches and holding bedsheets underneath the trees to catch the falling fruit.  They got to sink their teeth into the first fresh apples of the season.  They were happy.  They were helping out and bringing their energy not just to benefit themselves, but their family, their neighbours, and their community at large. 

We picked apples, and we also picked some "Prairie Cherries".  These cherries were the most beautiful red I've ever seen.  Not the deep purple-red of the sweeter cherries we get from BC.  Think ripe tomato red.  They are a sour cherry, which I've never used before.

And there were so many of them!  We brought home several buckets of cherries for ourselves, which my daughter helped me wash and pit this morning.  They are now in the freezer and ready for me to learn how to make pastry for pie crusts.

So much to learn, for all of us!