Nature Study At It's Best

On Saturday Elianna & I attended our monthly Spinning Guild meeting. This means that my younger daughter has a 'Daddy Day' - a whole day with daddy all to herself.


My husband filmed this clip of her in our local park - I was a very proud mummy when I saw this clip & resulting drawing : )

The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men....

Here is my happy wee girl, just over a month ago on her fifth birthday. Since my last post, things have been so different.

We have all had a run of colds, throat & ear infections & coughs over the last two weeks.

Then on wednesday, my darling girl developed very bad mouth ulcers. Which got worse & worse, to the point that she couldnt drink. I had spent an exhausting night syringing water into my wee girl mil by mil.

We returned to see our doctor the next day who admitted her to hospital because the ulcers were so severe, her temp was very high & she was dehydrated.

She was deemed fit to go home later that day, but it has been an exhausting battle to get any fluid & pain relief into her. Watching her in so much pain has been the worst thing.

Today she has turned a huge corner & whist she is still in pain, she is quite grumpy, which, is a massive relief for this heartbroken mummy! She has been too lethargic up until this point to show any emotion.

I was hoping to post about our new Charlotte Mason style curriculum this weekend. I still hope to get that up as soon as I am able.

I cannot let this moment go by without a huge thank you to my dear friend Andrea - who let me garble worried thoughts & swear far too much.
Thank you Andrea :)

Well, i have a big pot of chicken broth on the stove top that I must attend to for my poorly girl.

Thank you all for your kind words to my 'comeback post' - hoping to chat with you all soon.

LX

A Tentative New Post...

I miss my blog!
I miss reading & responding to all the lovely comments left for me. I made some great friends via the blogging world. But at the same time, blogging takes time!
So, cautiously, I am beginning my blog again.

The last year has brought some great challenges for my family. I am very tired now. Very tired! But I am delighted to be in the new place that I am.

The changes have caused me to re-think a lot of things, including our education plans. And it is with great delight that I have met with an old friend - Miss Charlotte Mason!

We are nearing the end of our first week 'Charlotte Mason Style'. A week beset with illness & appointments & other interruptions that would normally reduce this home-bird to a quivering wreck. However, our easy pace, short lessons & wonderful read alouds have wrapped beautifully around our family life, like the sumptuous wrappings around an expensive gift.

Peace.

I soon shall be posting our plans for the first 'term' of school. We actually began back in September, but have decided to plan our books etc counting this as our first week.

I also would like to share the following quote, which has really got me thinking:

‎"In this way: give your a child a single valuable idea, and you have done more for his education than if you had laid upon his mind the burden of bushels of information."

Vol 1, Part V Lessons As Instruments Of Education, p.174
The Original Homeschooling Series by Charlotte

Holy Week Plans

Easter 2008


In All Year Round, the authors speak of Lent as a time of renewal, in gathering forces needed to meet the vital renewal of our daily lives. The quiet mood of Lent will be deepened in our home over the Holy week, the week leading up to Easter.

Story for the week: “The Story Of The Great Stone” (Stories for The Festivals Of The Year)

Verse: At Easter Time (Stories for The Festivals Of The Year)

Let our trust in God become
Like the good earth, firm & strong.

As the water, rising & falling,
Let God’s life be always flowing.

Our Voices carry through the air.
Softly withing, God’s call is heard.

Fire gives warmth, fire gives light.
God’s love burns within our heart.

In all the elements, God is there
Bringing new life, everywhere.

Palm Sunday
~ Light a candle on our nature table
~Go for a praise walk, followed by a picnic (weather permitting!)~Marveling at the wonders of nature are prayers of praise. As we walk outdoors, we can reflect upon the Lords creation & praise God for giving us a world that meets our needs.

~ Bake date bread & make palm crosses as gifts
~ Sew grass seeds in a bowl of earth

Light the nature table candle daily.


Holy Thursday
~Purchase Easter lillies
~Read John 13:1-5

Good Friday
Light our candle
Bake & eat hot cross buns
~ Read “The Story Of The Great Stone” (Stories for The Festivals Of The Year)
At 3pm blow out our candle, followed by a quiet hour of reflection
(I give my children their prayer journals, coloured pencils & their picture Bibles, they can draw prayers to the Lord, Illustrate the story we read or look at their Bibles.)

Easter Saturday
“A quiet day, a day of Waiting” The Parenting Passageway
Dying Eggs
Laying out new easter clothes
Cooking for the feast tomorrow
In secret, make a few butterflies to hand over the dining room table for Easter Morning - I love this magical idea from The Parenting Passageway

March Circle Time

Better late than never!

Hymn:

Joyful Joyful

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee, opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!

All Thy works with joy surround Thee, earth and heaven reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee, center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Singing bird and flowing fountain call us to rejoice in Thee.

Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blessed,
Wellspring of the joy of living, ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother, all who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine.

Mortals, join the happy chorus, which the morning stars began;
Father love is reigning o’er us, brother love binds man to man.
Ever singing, march we onward, victors in the midst of strife,
Joyful music leads us Sunward in the triumph song of life.

Scripture:

Psalm 100
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Verse:

A caterpillar crawled to the top of a tree.
"I think I'll take a nap'" said he.
So - under a leaf he began to creep
To spin his cocoon, & fell asleep.
All winter he slept in his cocon bed,
Till spring came along one day & said,
"wake up, wake up, little sleepy head.
"Wake up, its time to get out of bed."
So - he opened his eyes that sunshiny day.
Lo! he was a butterfly - & flew away!

Spring - Wynstones

Fingerplay:

"Come, little children," (beckon)
Calls mother hen.
"It's time to take your nap again". (head on hands)
And under feathers (make arms into wings)
The small ducks creep,
And she clucks a song
Till they fall asleep (head on hands)

Spring - Wynstones

Song:

Little snail, little snail,
on the rock you make a trail,
Carry your house upon your back,
It takes so long to get there & back,
But even though you're not very fast,
You're happy that spring has come at last

Spring - Wynstones

French:

Dans le ciel
© 2003 Alain Le Lait

Dans le ciel, dans le ciel

Il y a la lune

Dans le ciel, dans le ciel

La lune et le soleil
Dans le ciel, dans le ciel

Il y a les étoiles 

Dans le ciel, dans le ciel

Les étoiles et le soleil
Et dans le ciel il y a des oiseaux

Qui chantent cui, cui, cui, cui, cui
(x2)
Dans le ciel, dans le ciel

Il y a les nuages

Dans le ciel, dans le ciel

Les nuages et le soleil
Dans le ciel, dans le ciel

Il y a la lune

Dans le ciel, dans le ciel

La lune et le soleil
Et dans le ciel il y a des oiseaux

Qui chantent cui, cui, cui, cui, cui
(x2)

In the sky
© 2003 Alain Le Lait

In the sky, in the sky

There is the moon

In the sky, in the sky

In the sky, in the sky

There are the stars

In the sky, in the sky

The stars and the sun
And in the sky there are birds

Singing chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp
(x2)
In the sky, in the sky

There are the clouds

In the sky, in the sky

The clouds and the sun
In the sky, in the sky

There is the moon

In the sky, in the sky

The moon and the sun
And in the sky there are birds

Singing chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp
(x2)
The moon and the sun

Maths practice (clapping / beanbags / jumping)

Current recorder practice.

Rosie (preschooler)
Story - Golilocks & the three bears

Etsy Shop!

I have just opened my very own Etsy Shop!

Please pop along & have a look - I will be adding more fibre & yarn over the coming days

If you decide to treat yourself to something from my shop, please mention my blog in the comments section for a 10% discount!

Dyeing with Gorse

Hello all!
in between fighting various illnesses, Rosie & I dyed up some sock yarn with Gorse

Here it is in the pan:



& here it is all dyed up:



I am so pleased with the pretty shade! I am planning to knit up Child's Lovely Lace Socks for my girls for Easter.

For more on natural dyeing, look here & here.