september wrap-up.

by Rozanne on October 1, 2011

Goodbye September.

Thank you for being a very gentle and forgiving month.  Thank you for the warm weather and for giving me sunny days when I most needed it.  Thank you for helping me say farewell to summer without regret and longing.   Thank you for days full of learning, creating, storytelling, crafting, baking, and apple fun.

The big event in our household this month was not homeschooling but the departure of #4 from our room.  It all began when she started to join bedtime story with her sisters in their room as opposed to having a separate bedtime story with me in my bed.  After the story, she came to sleep beside me and I noticed there was only a couple of “pinchies.”  I asked her about the dwindling pinches and she told me, “I only do them now for you, Mom. I don’t need them anymore.”  (Can you hear my heart breaking?)

Then one night she asked #3 if she could sleep with her.  #3 started to rhyme off some conditions like she #4 has to sleep at the foot of the bed and can’t have any of her stuffies and has to have a separate blanket, but then #3 saw the unimpressed expression on my face and relented.  But by this point #4 had already ran out of their room in tears, feeling completely rejected, and made herself comfortable in my bed again.  So I had to speak to #3 about welcoming her little sister to their room and their bed and to remind her that #2 did the same for her a few years ago.  The next day #4 tried to stay with her sisters again.  While I was putting #5 to sleep in my bed, I fully expected #4 to return to my bed once again.  She didn’t.  I came into their room to say my goodnights and she was lying in a cozy little spot surrounded by stuffies, already tucked in.  #3 said, “Mom, I prepared her spot for her and made it extra snug and extra cozy.  And she can borrow some of my stuffies until she gets more.”  #4 then said, “Can I get Reymundo too?”  #3 clutched her favourite giraffe, which she affectionately named Reymundo, and gave her a look that said, “You’re really pushing it now.”  #4 sensed that she had crossed a line and quickly said, “Never mind.  I’m ok.”  I kissed my 3 middle children goodnight that night and hugged #5 a little tighter.  The only thing that brightened my mood was hearing the 3 of them talk and giggle about their day and then telling each other “Sweet Dreams.”  Sigh.

So last week, after sleeping consistently with her sisters, she wakes up on Saturday and comes crying.  I think, oh no, she’s had a nightmare and now is coming back.  I ask her, “What’s wrong?”  Between sobs and as she is writhing on my bed, she says, “You…didn’t…put…my…clothes…in…my…sisters’…room!…Waaaa!!!”  I’ve just woken up and am feeling that I have missed out on the conversation that she had in her head 5 minutes before entering my room or she still thinks she is in the middle of a dream.  I say, “What?”  That of course makes things worse and the meltdown worsens.  After many minutes mixed with confusion and consolation, I solve the mystery.  ”Did you want to move your clothes from Mama’s room to your sister’s room?”  She stops crying and nods.  Oh, thank God.  I continue, “Well, sweetie, you never told me.”  The meltdown starts gaining momentum again, “BUT I DID!!! Mamaaaaaaaa! I told you that I want to change in my sisters’ room!”  I stop and think.  I vaguely remember her telling me yesterday morning that she wanted to change in her sisters’ room and she took her clothes and went to change with them.  Of course I didn’t know that meant move all her clothes from her dresser in our room to their closet so she could change in their room EVERY DAY after that.  Gotta love the mind of a 4-year-old.

Some nights when her sisters are too tired to talk and fall right asleep and she is wired because of an earlier nap, she will come for “visits.”  Just the other night I came into my room to put #5 to bed and had already said goodnights to the others when I noticed #2′s globe in the middle of the room.  When plugged in, the constellations glow.  As I lie down with #5, #4 saunters in and spins the globe, stops it, puts her finger on it, and says to herself, “Yup, uh-huh.”  Then she turns to me and whispers, “I just had to check to see where Africa was.”  I say goodnight again and she goes back to bed.  After #5 is asleep, I go to the washroom to wash up.  She comes in and says, “I think Q threw up because he sounded like this…”  Then she proceeds to act out in dramatic fashion what she just heard.  I say, “That sounds more like a sneeze.  But thank you for telling me.  I will check on him.  Love you and goodnight.”  She walks back down the hall, stops at #1′s room, peers in, and says, “Go to sleep! Stop reading and turn off your light!”  She turns around and gives me a look that says, “You’re welcome, Mom.”  She goes back to bed again.  Then she returns one to tell me that she has put on her contact lenses and can now see me better.  I’m figuring she is deliriously tired and is talking crazy.  I say, “That’s lovely dear.  Goodnight.”  Then she comes back one last time and says, “Goodnight Mom.  Love you. Can I give you a kiss?”  I say, “Of course.”  Then she gives me a kiss and that’s the last I see of #4 for the rest of the night.

Never a dull moment.  September was no exception.

We went bird watching at a local garden and #5 got in trouble by the groundskeeper for touching the water feature:

The groundskeeper to me: "He's getting wet!" Me: "Yeah. He does that...especially when you have a rock in the middle of a garden spewing water."

#3 and #4 made yarn apples:

#4 winding the yarn around a rectangular piece of cardboard.

You need yarn, cardboard, pipe cleaners, and a willingness to wind yarn.

Done!

#4 and #5 played with our felt board.  I found cheap felt-like material at IKEA and used double-sided tape and taped it to an MDF board.  Then the girls and I cut out a bunch of shapes to help us tell our story of the week:  The Three Apples.  I also used the little red apples for counting and songs.

#5 setting up the felt board.

Setting up the apple tree to say our apple verse...

Then getting ready to pick the apples from the tree! #4 and #5 played this game for quite awhile. (And yes, he's wearing Christmas jammies during the day.)

We sculpted with beeswax during and after storytime.

#2 sculpted this golden apple while I told the story of "The Three Apples."

I drew a lot of chalkboard drawings and each time #3 had fun trying to guess what my story would be about and what letters we would be learning about.

"S" is for stream.

"T" is for tree (and tent).

"V" is for valley.

#4 made playdough.  #5 ate some.  #3 couldn’t focus on her work and played with playdough.  #2 filmed #3 doing a cooking show using the playdough.

#4's request: purple playdough.

Playdough + Household Items = Hours of fun.

Since it was an apple-themed month for us, what better way to celebrate it with a trip to the apple orchards.  But of course, before we did that, we had to make apple-picking bags.  And of course, making apple-picking bags meant apple stamping!  (I messed up and didn’t have red fabric paint!!  So I tried to use red ink, but that was a disaster – the apple didn’t absorb any of the ink.  So we settled for some pretty modern-looking patterns which turned out better than I thought…)

I each gave them a piece of canvas and they stamped away using fabric paint. I cut the apples in half through the middle to reveal the "star" and I also cut them length-wise.

#3 stamping in green.

As they stamped, I talked about patterns just in case they wanted to stamp in a pattern.

#3's final pattern for her bag.

After the 3 were done stamping, we let them dry and then I used them for the flaps of their apple picking/messenger bags.  I used a free template from here.

#2 stamping away. She wasn't entirely happy with her green apples...and her final design ended up being so cool...

One black silhouette in the bottom left corner of the flap and her green apples lined up on the top.

#2 posing with her new apple-picking/messenger bag.

#3's bag. I used canvas for fabric and red and white striped fabric is the heavier-weighted cotton from IKEA. (It's the same one I used to make their Christmas stockings.) The bag is lined with the same canvas.

The width of both #2 and #3′s bags are slightly narrower than what the pattern calls for (#2 wanted a more rectangle look than square).  And #4′s is much smaller so that she isn’t struggling to carry a heavy weight (or pass the bag on to me to carry!).

The mini-version.

#4 and her bag in action at the orchard.

We enjoyed a spectacular day at Avalon Orchards.  We went with our homeschooling group and lucked out on the weather and a wonderful program at a reasonable cost.  There was a wagon ride, 3lbs of free apples, a hike on a woodland trail and a free cup of cider.  We were able to have lunch on picnic tables, go on another hike, and do some more picking in the afternoon except for #5…

...who played "apple stick-ball."

The orchard and the wagon.

#2 eating and counting her stash.

#4 enjoying the fruits of her labours. Literally.

#3 securing her free 3lbs of Liberty apples.

A photo by #1 of her view looking up during our hike on the woodland trail.

"Don't throw! It's not a baseball!"

Finally, getting the hang of it.

How do you like them apples? And that's why we have 5 kids. I didn't have to pick a single apple...

As soon as we got home, they wanted to stamp apples again so I set up some canvas again and they went apple -stamping crazy again.

Then the next day, we made some apple pomanders.  I got the idea from this post and it was perfect timing since I had just finished reading  ”Little House in The Big Woods” with #2.  The kids all sat around the table making these homemade air fresheners (except #5 who wanted to throw the apples across the room).

After perusing all the pictures this month, I can’t believe how much we’ve done.  Although it looks like we were very busy, I never felt rushed or hurried (except when sewing up those apple bags the night before our apple picking trip).  Some days went according to plan and on others, we were flexible – like the morning, I decide to give #5 a bowl of water and cups to use to pour.  I thought this would buy me at least 20 minutes to get the rest of the girls started on their lessons.  But no, as soon as I put the bowl in front of him, he picks it up and dumps it on his head.  He is soaked and smiling.  He looks up at me and touches his clothes and says, “Wet.”  Sigh.  I tell the girls, “Ok guys.  Time for some free play – how many ways can we use this scarf? And…go!”

Maybe we’ll try the bowl of water thing again in October.  Or not.

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some observations.

by Rozanne on September 26, 2011

We just finished our 3rd week of the kids being at home while most kids are at school.  I always hesitate to use the term “homeschool” because it really doesn’t feel like “school” at all.  Most days it just feels like a Sunday afternoon in July with some activities thrown into the mix.

There are few things that I have noticed as we have developed a new family rhythm:

It is IMPERATIVE that I get up before the children. Even if it’s only 20 minutes before they wake up, I need the quiet to visualize the day unfolding, to take deep breaths, and to meditate on what is essential and what is non-essential.

We must go for a morning walk after breakfast. One day we walked for 45 minutes and then the next day we walked for 10 minutes.  When they start moving their bodies, they are less groggy and lazy.  Playgrounds are frequently empty in the mornings and doing a story and circle time at the playground or at the park works best.  Though #3 will frequently ask, “Can I go do the monkey bars now?  My calluses are better!”  (She has been addicted to swinging on monkey bars lately, begging to visit different playgrounds in the neighbourhood.  We’ll be driving in the car and she’ll spot monkey bars and yell, “Monkey Bars!! I haven’t done those ones! Please, can we stop?!?”)  I also find that doing #3′s lessons outside are more successful as she loves the outdoors.  Indoors, her favourite line is: “Can I take a break and go outside?”

The only issue we have is that #2 is a homebody and HATES the morning walks, at least the first 20 minutes of being outside.  She moans and groans until the fresh air lifts her morning mood and basically evaporates her inner Eeyore.

All of us heading out on our walk.

Morning lessons at the playground: #3 and "M."

Morning lessons at the playground: #2 doing some math.

#3 starting her "line" and "curve" lesson outdoors.

Storytelling is one of their favourite things. I memorize a story that is geared for #4 each week which I tell to all of them during our circle time.  Then I re-tell it each day during circle time adding props and then by the end of week, they all know the story so well that they act it out together.  I also memorize 2 Grimms FairyTale stories each week for #3.  I tell them just to her (although #2 likes to listen in) and we draw a picture from that story incorporating a letter.  For example, I told her the story, “Simeli Mountain,” and we drew a mountain with the letter ‘M’ embedded in it.  I had done a chalkboard drawing of mountains before she had come down for breakfast:

M is for Mountain.

I asked her what letter she thought we would be talking about that day:

Me:  ”Good morning!  Take a look at the board.  Do you see what letter we are going to work on today?”

#3 scrutinized the picture on the board, then her eyes widened as if a light bulb had just gone off in her head:  ”Oh, I know, R!  R for river!”

Me:  ”Nope, try again.”

#3 again scrutinized the picture again:  ”Oh, I got it!  T! T for trees?”

Me: “Try again.”

At this point in time, #2 is losing her mind.  The “river” and “trees” I drew don’t resemble any type of letter.  In fact, they are part of the background, barely visible.   I can tell she is dying to blurt out the answer and is so frustrated with her sister.  So I help #3 out and outline the ‘M’ in the picture of the mountains.

#3:  ”Oh! Mountain! Um, what does mountain start with again?”

Thud.  #2′s head hits the table.

#3:  ”Can I take a break and go outside?”

Me:  ”Honey, your lessons haven’t started yet.  You haven’t even had breakfast.”

#3 gets her share of stories too.  She’s working on a calendar so I told her a story called the “12 Seasons.”  I also tell her different math stories involving her gnomes.

Handwork is another favourite thing. Sewing and making things in general with their hands are very popular in our house.  I planned an activity for #4 where she made her own memory game by cutting squares out of strips of paper.  I had pre-marked where she would cut along the strip.  She then glued the sides of the two different-patterned squares.  I drew various pairs of apple-themed images on the squares:

#4 cutting out her squares and placing them in her little basket.

#4 playing her new memory game.

A match!

Since #4 wouldn’t let any of her sisters play her new game, #2 decided to make her own memory game that afternoon – but using fabric.  She measured and cut out equal-sized squares from canvas, and stamped pairs of images.  She realized that you could see the image on the backside of the canvas so she cut same-sized squares out of scrap fabric and sewed them on the other side using the sewing machine to the back of the canvas:

Finished!

 

I must have an activity planned for #5 (separate from #4 I have quickly learned) otherwise I have this at my feet all morning:

"Mama, up! Mama! Mamaaaaaaaaaaa!"

So, while I was getting the others going with painting, he was doing this:

(#4:  ”Mama, look!  He’s cleaning the board and he doesnt’t even know it! Ha ha!”)

#4: "Look Mom! He's cleaning the board at the same time!"

 

Free play is an absolute necessity for our daily rhythm. The kids decided to play choo-choo train – #5′s favourite game.  #3 yells, “All aboard!” and they all scramble for seats.  They sing a train song and then each one gets a turn deciding where the train travels to – Italy, The Beach, Mt. Everest, Mars, etc.

The train.

#5 breaking 2 train rules: 1. No standing on the train while it's in motion. 2. You can't be shirtless.

Conversation between #4 and I shortly after above pic was taken:

Me:  ”Why is there a scarf over your face?  Oh, let me guess, you’re the sun shining brightly on the train?”

#4:  ”No, mama!  I just got my face painted on the mountain top!”

Me:  ”Of course.”

 

Outdoor time affects everyone positively. Whether we are out for a morning walk or at a deserted beach with our homeschool group, the kids absolutely LOVE being outside.  Correction:  With exception of #2 who takes a few minutes to get used to being outside, the kids absolutely LOVE being outside.  The kids and I feel wonderful after a whole day outdoors.  It’s also our “science” day.  For example, #2 discovered a fossil the last time we were at the beach and #4 tried to teach #3 all about gravity as she almost pushed #3 off a rock a few metres above a stream with a strong current.  I watched as #4 continuously tried to shove her sister off – it’s like watching waves splash against solid rock.  Why did she push?  I asked her and she said:  ”Because she wouldn’t move out of my way when I asked!”  Then I asked, “Did you say excuse me please?”  #4 nodded yes and then #3 interrupted and said in a wounded voice, “She screamed it in my face.”  #4 retorted:  ”But I said PLEASE didn’t I?”  So in the end , #4 inadvertently learned the concept of inertia and mass:  a more massive object has a greater tendency to resist changes in its state of motion.  I didn’t appreciate how she learned this lesson so I made them both hold hands and sing a nice song to each other then and there:

Make new friends but keep the old

One is silver and the other’s gold

A circle’s round, it has no end

That’s how long I want to be your friend.

Then as soon as you know it, they are once again picking flowers together and #3 is helping #4 along a log that acts as a bridge over the little stream.

#2 is under the umbrella at the beach. She says it is too sunny and wants to go home. We've only been at the beach for 7 minutes.

Before raging at #3, #4 climbs large pieces of driftwood at the beach.

#3 exploring the beach in borrowed waders.

#5 enjoying his lunch at the beach.

Big man is still enjoying his lunch.

#5 is back at work, exploring the waterways.

After about an hour and half, #2 emerges and looks for shells and fossils in solitude. This is her enjoying herself immensely. Seriously.

A family rhythm is essential for my sanity. I need some structure.  Some.  This is important so that everyone knows what to expect throughout the day and the week.  The children get up with the sun and go down with the sun.  This does not change unless we are at special events.  I have begun to limit our attendance at events just to keep our nice rhythm going.  When the sun goes down, everything else does:  activity, noise, lights, and the kids.  As dusk approaches, they automatically begin winding down through the way they speak to the way they move (except for #3 who still to this day does not know the difference between an indoor voice and an outdoor voice).  No one is allowed to come downstairs after PJs are on and in the morning, no one is allowed downstairs until they are changed and have brushed their teeth.  Weekdays and weekends.  We hold hands and say a blessing before each meal.  Mornings are for walks and lessons and afternoons are for quiet time, handwork, and reading.  There can be small changes here and there in our schedule but it is roughly the same each day so there are no surprises and less meltdowns.

If the children had a particularly busy weekend or if I had a rough night with #5, we adjust the day.  It becomes more about breathing in – staying close to mom.  One day in the summer, I was up all night and was exhausted and did not want to leave my bed.  I told the kid that it was pajama day and that we were going to gather every cushion, pillow, and blanket  in the house and make a fort on my bed.  #3 squealed with delight and asked, “Even the couch cushions?”  Of course.  So we ate an easy breakfast of cereal and fruit and I heated up my go-to emergency lunch: chicken nuggets and carrots.  We read some books.  I made up some stories and planned our adventure in our fort – you couldn’t step on the floor, only on the path of scarves I laid out to the washroom.  After I started to get drowsy, they watched a movie on my laptop so #5 and I could take a little nap.  I made some popcorn and they were set.  I felt a little less guilty because it happened to be raining that day.  When we all talk about our favourite moments of this summer, they all mention the day we built a fort in my bed.

I LOVE being with my children. When strangers/friends/family ask how I can cope with being with the kids all day and all night (#5 is still nursing), I tell them how much I love it.  I LOVE IT.  It’s hard to believe how much easier it is with them home than when they were at school.  It’s a lovely little paradox.  The more they are with me, the less they need me.  I know, it’s a tough one to understand.  Because they know that I am with them each and every day, they don’t need to fight for my attention every second they are with me.  When time with me was limited, like only being able to be with me after school and on weekends, it was cuckoo.  Everyone had to have a piece of me, as if they’d never get a chance to spend time with me.  Now, everyone knows that they get a turn with me each day.  They know that I will spend some time doing lessons individually and they can access Ever-Patient and I in the afternoons at anytime.

And, we are never in a rush.  Some of our days really do feel like a Saturday afternoon in July.  I have time to really talk and listen to each of them without being in a hurry.  I can try to answer their questions in detail.  We can follow where our curiosity takes us like when #2 asked how starfish eat and we spent an entire afternoon looking it up on the Internet (it’s pretty cool if you are curious) and looking at different varieties of starfish.  She then spent time making some starfish stuffies out of felt.  We have time to chat with our neighbours and do chores together.

#1 basting her quilt on one of her days off. #5 is just realizing how soft the quilt feels underfoot...

#5 at full speed, doing laps on the quilt much to #1's chagrin. Never a dull moment in our house.

I thought I would wake up some days and think to myself, “Oh no, they’re home again.”  But I don’t.  Each day I wake up and think, “Yay! They’re home again!”  Another day of singing, storytelling, laughing, crafting, reading, talking, and just being – together.

Winter may be a different story.  Bah!  I’ll just stock up on hot chocolate and marshmallows and build a fort in my bed…

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homeschooling: the first day.

September 18, 2011

(Sorry for the delay in posting this…I know I promised it would be up on Monday but looking at all the pictures and at my journal, there was just sooooo much good stuff. ) The First Day Ever-Patient and I woke up at about 5am on Tuesday, September 6.  This will be our new ‘thing.’ [...]

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home.

September 10, 2011

Home sweet home. I have never felt so at home in my home. This past week was our first week of homeschooling and that is the best way to describe how I felt – at home. I’ve felt this way all summer too with the kids being with me almost 24-7  - no camps except [...]

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hello stranger.

September 2, 2011

It’s been awhile. I was talking to a good friend who mentioned something interesting that struck a chord in me.  It was in reference to the whole scrapbooking trend.  I’m paraphrasing but the gist is to stop documenting and just LIVE.  Forget the pictures, the journalling, the blogging.  LIVE.  LIVE IT UP. So…that’s what I’ve [...]

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and then came a teenager.

April 3, 2011

She’s 13 today (gulp). My first-born.  My eldest daughter.  My little girl. I have no words.  Words aren’t flowing easily today.  As I look back on the last 13 years, I am flooded with memories.  I can see the images, like faded photographs, but there are too many for words.  As I look back on [...]

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dear Good Night’s Sleep, i miss you.

March 25, 2011

What were you doing at 2am last night? Most of you were probably deep into your REM sleep, lost in your dreams.  I thought I was dreaming when I heard a tiny voice say, “Tissue please.”  I think I may have mumbled something to which the tiny voice commanded again but with more urgency, “TISSUE [...]

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what i’ve been up to.

March 11, 2011

What has possibly been going on in our lives to warrant a complete fall-off-the-face-of-the-earth type disappearance from the bloggity-blog world? Well, since I am a fan of lists, here is a list-form snapshot of the last 6 months of my life…(and in no particular order): #5 had 2 visits to Sick Kids (local children’s hospital) [...]

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hello 2011.

January 1, 2011

Happy New Year. January 1st has always signified a new beginning, a fresh start, and just plain old-fashioned hope.  For some reason, I have always had this romantic notion that at the stroke of midnight, I could hit this magnificent – yet albeit imaginary – reset button. Every December 31st, I feel overwhelmed by the [...]

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i’m still here.

November 28, 2010

Hello out there. Not sure if there are many of you still coming back to check on this bloggity-blog of mine.  Thank you to those who have sent those “Is everything ok?” emails. Lots to catch up on.  In short, we’re all good.  Blogging has taken a backseat to a lot of good things and [...]

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