Now that the excitement of parties and a holiday weekend are behind us, I'm feeling grateful for the space in this week. The calendar is fairly empty, while I know that the week after this one is overflowing and is more than one person can handle on her own (my hubby is out of town that week). So, today I want to spend some of this free time planning for the week that will be upon us soon. I'm...
...writing up lesson plans for the four learning sessions I'll be facilitating next week. I only do these when there will be a larger group of children, and often when we are outside our home and things need to be packed and taken with us.
...putting together a grocery list for this week and for next so that we can easily pick up everything we need to nourish these bodies of ours.
...brainstorming story ideas for the next Birds of Prey Club meeting.
...calling relatives for help on the days or evenings I can't do by myself.
...preparing packing lists so my children can pack things for themselves.
...doing a bit of knitting to calm some of the anxiety that is slowly starting to seep into my day as I think of the week ahead.
...getting excited for our local homeschooling convention as I peruse the workshop descriptions and get ideas from my children for the types of books, activities, or resources they'd like me to bring home with me.
...vowing to be in bed earlier tonight, and this week.
Tuesday, 19 February 2013
Sunday, 17 February 2013
A decade
It's hard to believe my son is now in double digits, and Chris and I have been working through our roles as parents for a decade now. When I look way back in the rearview mirror, I see two excited, anxious, naive parents holding a squirmy little bundle. Two parents who had a pretty good idea of what they wanted for their children but didn't know how to do it. Two parents who were the first of their friends to have a baby, and felt too overwhelmed with the plethora of how-to parent books to dig in and do the research for a method that resonated best.
They feared the damage or harm that could inadvertently fall on that precious little one due to their lack of experience. I wonder sometimes if our cautious boy was wired to be cautious or if it came about due to all his parents' fears or their sometimes unrealistic expectations.
We've stumbled and bumbled our way through the last ten years. There were times where we've made what felt like big mistakes. There were other times where we've thought we've aced handling a sensitive situation. There have been too many times where we've looked back and wished that we knew then what we know now. But we are feeling more comfortable with where we're headed, despite the unknowns on the horizon which are inherent with a firstborn babe.
And here we are. Ten years later. Nicholas is a boy who gets passionately engaged in those topics that interest him most. He loves learning and sharing facts with anyone and everyone. He is comfortable in his own skin. He is kind and caring, especially for his littlest sister.
As I write this, my son is playing blackjack with a friend who is sleeping over tonight. He is smiling, laughing and happy. Yes, this is what we wanted for our Nicholas.
They feared the damage or harm that could inadvertently fall on that precious little one due to their lack of experience. I wonder sometimes if our cautious boy was wired to be cautious or if it came about due to all his parents' fears or their sometimes unrealistic expectations.
We've stumbled and bumbled our way through the last ten years. There were times where we've made what felt like big mistakes. There were other times where we've thought we've aced handling a sensitive situation. There have been too many times where we've looked back and wished that we knew then what we know now. But we are feeling more comfortable with where we're headed, despite the unknowns on the horizon which are inherent with a firstborn babe.
And here we are. Ten years later. Nicholas is a boy who gets passionately engaged in those topics that interest him most. He loves learning and sharing facts with anyone and everyone. He is comfortable in his own skin. He is kind and caring, especially for his littlest sister.
As I write this, my son is playing blackjack with a friend who is sleeping over tonight. He is smiling, laughing and happy. Yes, this is what we wanted for our Nicholas.
Thursday, 14 February 2013
Club Day. The Nature Version. And Valentine's too.
This one will be short and sweet, so that I can squeeze one last little bit of Valentine's spirit out to those around me. Since Nature Club fell on Valentine's Day, we made a Valentine's-inspired craft. We needle-felted hearts and other shapes.
This craft seemed perfect for today, for me at least. Warm and wooly, natural and beautiful, meditative and requiring attention, what's not to love?
Here's what you need to needle-felt hearts, stars, or whatever other shape your heart desires:
~ wool in two colours - one for the main shape and the other in a contrasting colour, if you wish. Or shake it up and make your shape a rainbow of colours.
~ felting needles
~ sponge scrub pads
~ cookie cutters
Here's what to do:
1. Place the cookie cutter on the sponge, then put the main wool inside the cookie cutter, making sure that all spaces are covered. Expect that the wool will puff out the top of the cookie cutter. You can see from the picture about how much wool I used for the size of the cookie cutter.
2. Push the needle through the wool and (likely) into the sponge repeatedly. Start along the edge of the cookie cutter, then work your way inwards. The wool should become considerably flat.
3. Remove the cookie cutter, then gently remove the wool from the sponge. Replace the cookie cutter on the sponge, then turn the wool over and place it back in the cookie cutter. The wool will likely be larger than the cookie cutter, as it expanded once the cookie cutter was removed and it was pulled off the sponge. Do the best you can to line everything up.
4. Again, starting along the edges and working towards the centre, push the needle through the wool repeatedly until it holds its shape well on its own.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you are satisfied with the density of the felt.
6. Remove the cookie cutter, but keep the shape on the sponge. Carefully needle felt (as in step 2) around the edge of the shape.
7. If you wish to add a monogram or other design, take a very small piece of contrasting wool. Roll it back and forth between your palms, like how you would roll a snake out of modelling clay, to tighten the fibres a bit. Place it on the main shape in the desired shape and needle felt it into place. You may wish to tuck the ends of the contrasting wool underneath itself so that the ends are neat.
Happy heart day to you!
This craft seemed perfect for today, for me at least. Warm and wooly, natural and beautiful, meditative and requiring attention, what's not to love?
Here's what you need to needle-felt hearts, stars, or whatever other shape your heart desires:
~ wool in two colours - one for the main shape and the other in a contrasting colour, if you wish. Or shake it up and make your shape a rainbow of colours.
~ felting needles
~ sponge scrub pads
~ cookie cutters
Here's what to do:
1. Place the cookie cutter on the sponge, then put the main wool inside the cookie cutter, making sure that all spaces are covered. Expect that the wool will puff out the top of the cookie cutter. You can see from the picture about how much wool I used for the size of the cookie cutter.
2. Push the needle through the wool and (likely) into the sponge repeatedly. Start along the edge of the cookie cutter, then work your way inwards. The wool should become considerably flat.
3. Remove the cookie cutter, then gently remove the wool from the sponge. Replace the cookie cutter on the sponge, then turn the wool over and place it back in the cookie cutter. The wool will likely be larger than the cookie cutter, as it expanded once the cookie cutter was removed and it was pulled off the sponge. Do the best you can to line everything up.
4. Again, starting along the edges and working towards the centre, push the needle through the wool repeatedly until it holds its shape well on its own.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you are satisfied with the density of the felt.
6. Remove the cookie cutter, but keep the shape on the sponge. Carefully needle felt (as in step 2) around the edge of the shape.
7. If you wish to add a monogram or other design, take a very small piece of contrasting wool. Roll it back and forth between your palms, like how you would roll a snake out of modelling clay, to tighten the fibres a bit. Place it on the main shape in the desired shape and needle felt it into place. You may wish to tuck the ends of the contrasting wool underneath itself so that the ends are neat.
Happy heart day to you!
Wednesday, 13 February 2013
Almost there
My son is a Cub Scout, and we've been encouraging him to pick a badge or two that he would like to earn. The pick that he has been working on for quite some time now is the World Conservation badge. I had hoped that he would be motivated to find time to work on it on his own, but that really wasn't happening. Through talking with him, I realized that while he was eager to earn the badge, he didn't know how to fit it into his days and would consistently claim that he ran out of time in his day to get around to it. While I know at an intellectual level that he was benefiting from unstructured free time, he had set a goal and was struggling to focus on it. He also didn't know how to gather all the information for the badge requirements, even though there was quite a bit that he knew already. I didn't know how to support him.
The requirements that he chose to complete were pretty comprehensive and I would imagine they could be daunting for a child in grade 4. He was to hike around two distinct ecoregions and compare and contrast the plants, animals and insects that live there. In addition, he was to learn a bit about the soil in each region, water sources, and hypothesize how changes in temperature could impact the ecoregion. Lastly, he was to discuss the food web for one of the ecoregions. Quite a tall order!
We sat down together about three weeks ago to look at what he had finished and what was left. Then, we broke the work that was left into even smaller pieces and he told me when he would commit to completing each smaller step. We agreed on what my role would be to support him, and the work that he was expected to do on his own.
At the same time, we also started writing out the chores and schoolwork we expected he would complete each week, including the work on the World Conservation badge. And, we laid out consequences for not completing the work. By the end of the day on Friday, we would sit down to see if he had finished all the items on the list. We would also consider and discuss his effort level. If all was done and done with a good level of effort, then great! Kudos all around! If not, then Nicholas would need to stay at home to complete the work and miss extracurricular activities until it was done.
This exercise has reduced the tension that seemed to arise daily. I am no longer nagging at him every day to get to it. He is in full control and makes decisions about how he will spend his time. We have a chance to talk about what he needs from me early in the week so that I'm not surprised or I have enough notice to accommodate his requests. He knows about little nuances in our schedules so that he can do a little extra one day in order to enjoy other activities. We are spending more time together to work on his schoolwork and projects because I better understand what he needs from me.
Today was a perfect example. He had requested a trip to the museum a week ago to learn more about the flora and fauna that live where he had recently hiked. It was penciled in on the calendar...and then the trip fell through when everyone fell ill. So, we rescheduled for this morning, and he worked ahead in his schoolwork on Monday and Tuesday to compensate for not doing it today.
He's planning to present his work as a food web, where he had written the names of plants, animals and insects on a board and then hammered nails by each label. Then, he can easily use a piece of yarn, string or twine to show who eats what. Here's one he finished for the Bay of Fundy, which we toured last summer:
It's such a great feeling when a goal is achieved. Being almost there, and knowing just a little bit more work until it's all wrapped up, feels pretty good too.
The requirements that he chose to complete were pretty comprehensive and I would imagine they could be daunting for a child in grade 4. He was to hike around two distinct ecoregions and compare and contrast the plants, animals and insects that live there. In addition, he was to learn a bit about the soil in each region, water sources, and hypothesize how changes in temperature could impact the ecoregion. Lastly, he was to discuss the food web for one of the ecoregions. Quite a tall order!
We sat down together about three weeks ago to look at what he had finished and what was left. Then, we broke the work that was left into even smaller pieces and he told me when he would commit to completing each smaller step. We agreed on what my role would be to support him, and the work that he was expected to do on his own.
At the same time, we also started writing out the chores and schoolwork we expected he would complete each week, including the work on the World Conservation badge. And, we laid out consequences for not completing the work. By the end of the day on Friday, we would sit down to see if he had finished all the items on the list. We would also consider and discuss his effort level. If all was done and done with a good level of effort, then great! Kudos all around! If not, then Nicholas would need to stay at home to complete the work and miss extracurricular activities until it was done.
This exercise has reduced the tension that seemed to arise daily. I am no longer nagging at him every day to get to it. He is in full control and makes decisions about how he will spend his time. We have a chance to talk about what he needs from me early in the week so that I'm not surprised or I have enough notice to accommodate his requests. He knows about little nuances in our schedules so that he can do a little extra one day in order to enjoy other activities. We are spending more time together to work on his schoolwork and projects because I better understand what he needs from me.
Today was a perfect example. He had requested a trip to the museum a week ago to learn more about the flora and fauna that live where he had recently hiked. It was penciled in on the calendar...and then the trip fell through when everyone fell ill. So, we rescheduled for this morning, and he worked ahead in his schoolwork on Monday and Tuesday to compensate for not doing it today.
He's planning to present his work as a food web, where he had written the names of plants, animals and insects on a board and then hammered nails by each label. Then, he can easily use a piece of yarn, string or twine to show who eats what. Here's one he finished for the Bay of Fundy, which we toured last summer:
It's such a great feeling when a goal is achieved. Being almost there, and knowing just a little bit more work until it's all wrapped up, feels pretty good too.
Tuesday, 12 February 2013
Club Day. The Birds of Prey version.
The weather cooperated this week, so we did the activities that I had planned for the last Birds of Prey Club meeting. As we ate our snack, we talked about some of the adaptations of animals of the Arctic. The club came up with several answers, like the colour of their camouflage, their fur, increased fat stores, and the size of some animals' paws. Then, we strapped on snowshoes and took a short hike through the deep deep snow in the park by our house.
We found a little area of the park edged with bushes and gathered to play our first version of Predator and Prey. I asked the Club to name an Arctic prey and an Arctic predator, then they were off to play our birds of prey version of tag with snowshoes. Next, we talked about camouflage and we played a few short games of hide and seek, using two canvas sheets I had brought along as camouflage. I didn't have enough for everyone, but those who didn't have camouflage made for the bushes to try and blend in there. Lastly, we took off the snowshoes so we could play one last game of Predator and Prey - our animals this time were a moose and a wolf (who do not live in the Arctic, but do live quite far north and use different adaptations to survive harsh winters). If only these little ones had legs that were as long as a moose's - it was hard enough to move around in the deep snow with snowshoes, let along without them!
We did have a few rough patches during this meeting - whether it was hurt feelings or a hurt body - and everyone suffered. To get this group all on the same page of how we will treat one another, I will be dedicating the next meeting to behaviour, and yet I know that a lecture on how to treat one another won't be effective. I do know that the room is quiet when I read a book, so I will be researching animal social structure and behaviour to introduce these ideas. Even better, perhaps I'll see if Nicholas has any recollection of reading about these topics in the myriad of owl books he's flipped through. Maybe Nicholas and I can even write up our own stories if we can't find one that suits our needs.
Hmmm....now I'm starting to get excited about preparing for this next meeting!
We found a little area of the park edged with bushes and gathered to play our first version of Predator and Prey. I asked the Club to name an Arctic prey and an Arctic predator, then they were off to play our birds of prey version of tag with snowshoes. Next, we talked about camouflage and we played a few short games of hide and seek, using two canvas sheets I had brought along as camouflage. I didn't have enough for everyone, but those who didn't have camouflage made for the bushes to try and blend in there. Lastly, we took off the snowshoes so we could play one last game of Predator and Prey - our animals this time were a moose and a wolf (who do not live in the Arctic, but do live quite far north and use different adaptations to survive harsh winters). If only these little ones had legs that were as long as a moose's - it was hard enough to move around in the deep snow with snowshoes, let along without them!
We did have a few rough patches during this meeting - whether it was hurt feelings or a hurt body - and everyone suffered. To get this group all on the same page of how we will treat one another, I will be dedicating the next meeting to behaviour, and yet I know that a lecture on how to treat one another won't be effective. I do know that the room is quiet when I read a book, so I will be researching animal social structure and behaviour to introduce these ideas. Even better, perhaps I'll see if Nicholas has any recollection of reading about these topics in the myriad of owl books he's flipped through. Maybe Nicholas and I can even write up our own stories if we can't find one that suits our needs.
Hmmm....now I'm starting to get excited about preparing for this next meeting!
Monday, 11 February 2013
Dreaming of spring
I find myself gazing out the dining room window at the mounds of snow piled up everywhere. It's been awhile since we've had this much snow. I think the last winter that was this wintery was the year that Nicholas was born and my brother-in-law passed his time by moving the snow from our front yard into the park that backed our house. I don't think all this snow will be gone until April, at the earliest. It's hard to believe that it's time to start dreaming up the garden of 2013.
Yet dreaming I did a few weekends ago. I don't even know what motivated it. But somehow, I went from doodling to having a full-fledged "concept drawing" (which is how we've come to refer to my not-drawn-to-scale sketches) of our garden spaces, a list of plants that I thought we would enjoy immensely, and where everything on that list would go. When the rest of the family arrived home and all the outdoor gear was put away, they had a quick look to make sure I hadn't missed something crucially important.
Every year there is usually some sort of experiment that we take on. Usually it is some fruit or vegetable that we haven't grown before, but it could also be trying out a new space to grow our perennial favorites. Last year was celery and the planters in the backyard and a community garden plot. The year before was asparagus. This year, we're planning to grow popcorn. Just the thought of a fresh-from-the-vine tomato is heavenly enough, but the thought of growing something new-to-us really ups the anticipation.
This year, I think I'll also save a garden box or a planter or two for the Nature Club. I read about the concept of a pizza garden in Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots. So, I'll gather up ideas from Nature Club for pizza toppings that can grow in our climate, ask for their help with planting seeds, preparing soil, transplanting, weeding and watering, which will eventually culminate in a homegrown pizza! Yum
I'll be slowly moving into the next phase of this spring dreaming. We've browsed through some seed catalogues and I'm very much looking forward to Seedy Saturday, which is a local come-and-go for gardeners looking to swap seed or buy some from local vendors. March and April will be a month of planting seeds and tending those little plants that will hopefully go out into the outdoor world in May.
And May will be bliss.
Yet dreaming I did a few weekends ago. I don't even know what motivated it. But somehow, I went from doodling to having a full-fledged "concept drawing" (which is how we've come to refer to my not-drawn-to-scale sketches) of our garden spaces, a list of plants that I thought we would enjoy immensely, and where everything on that list would go. When the rest of the family arrived home and all the outdoor gear was put away, they had a quick look to make sure I hadn't missed something crucially important.
Every year there is usually some sort of experiment that we take on. Usually it is some fruit or vegetable that we haven't grown before, but it could also be trying out a new space to grow our perennial favorites. Last year was celery and the planters in the backyard and a community garden plot. The year before was asparagus. This year, we're planning to grow popcorn. Just the thought of a fresh-from-the-vine tomato is heavenly enough, but the thought of growing something new-to-us really ups the anticipation.
This year, I think I'll also save a garden box or a planter or two for the Nature Club. I read about the concept of a pizza garden in Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots. So, I'll gather up ideas from Nature Club for pizza toppings that can grow in our climate, ask for their help with planting seeds, preparing soil, transplanting, weeding and watering, which will eventually culminate in a homegrown pizza! Yum
I'll be slowly moving into the next phase of this spring dreaming. We've browsed through some seed catalogues and I'm very much looking forward to Seedy Saturday, which is a local come-and-go for gardeners looking to swap seed or buy some from local vendors. March and April will be a month of planting seeds and tending those little plants that will hopefully go out into the outdoor world in May.
And May will be bliss.
Friday, 8 February 2013
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