December! The month of so many strings coming together, the making of sweet delights, the giving of ourselves in love and gratitude, the hustle and bustle, the late night magic making and the early days with twinkle lights and coffee. Homeschooling in our home isn’t necessarily the time spent working through a math book or spending allotted time learning our letters (although that happens here and there), but looks more like the spending of time together making cookies, playing Uno, stealthily moving through the house as ninjas or joining together in the search for just the right Christmas tree – basically the gathering of days together in exploration. This month we did a lot of gathering. Gathering with friends, gathering in the kitchen, gathering together at night to snuggle under our blankets after reading. There is nothing else in this world that we would rather do.
A Japanese inspired meal including kimonos, a low table made of laundry baskets, a scrap board, some great dragon fabric from my stash, some homemade chicken (from leftovers – yeah!) fried rice and a couple of kid-style chopsticks! Worth the effort.
Listening to your spouse : Sandy had this idea that the kids might love making a number chart and counting the leftover pole bean seeds from our fall harvest. I thought this sounded like the most boring activity ever! Boy was I wrong! The kids literally spent hours sorting the seeds, making their number charts and counting, counting, counting! It was a lesson learned for all involved!
Snowflake making, geometry and multiplication go hand-in-hand
Remi turns 3!!! He also had his first Preschool Christmas concert (we think he was a dog?), which he wasn’t too pleased about (basically all of the singing and smiling part)… but he did love meeting Santa!
It would not be December without cookie making! Here the kids are making chewy ginger bread – complete with ninja attire.
Rose and I had a wonderful mother/daughter outing to Snow White the Panto! Luca and Rose at the first sledding of the season (Remi cried in the car), an arsenal of snowballs awaiting Sandy’s return home and one happy chicken (our chickens hate the snow).
This is where I store most of our homeschool supplies – although I wish it was three times as big! Our favorite things are the letter writing supplies, the games, the Childcraft encyclopaedia, the kids journals, the microscope and the art supplies tucked in every corner! . Luca enjoyed a few moments with the knitting needles this month and maybe someday soon we’ll do more . Family Uno . Rose as a magical being
The making of many things . Badges designed by the kids to aid in adventuring with their Grandpa Bill – lots of different levels to achieve (swimming, fishing, birding to name a few)
Finding our tree! Notes to Santa and his reindeer and the kids on Christmas eve opening their traditional Christmas ornament and wearing their new jammies.
And lastly, but not least (even though this will be our last!), we share our news of the tiniest Flindall joining us in July 2017! Just more to love!
