Good Finds

On this fabulous Winter Solstice, I'm thinking about good finds.  Actually I've been thinking about our good finds for a while but haven't been able to post.  So, our good finds that I have been wanting to share...

1.  Free bales of straw at the local yard waste recycling spot.  Now are chickies are warm!

2.  The "Bumpy Hat" crochet pattern!  See debscrafts55.blogspot.com  I finally have figured out how to crochet with a pattern! 

3.  Embroidery Floss!  We have been doing a lot of sewing, but without embroidery floss for some reason.  This Christmas ornament project with out friends got us started with embroidery floss, and now we are embroidering like crazy.  Lots of things that I can't discuss because they are Christmas presents for folks who might be reading this.  I'll have to talk about it later.  But it has been so fun!  My most fabulous moment last week was when Clara. Ruthie, and I were all embroidering while Simon played with his cars around us.  He had actually been helping me with a project earlier. 

4.  Wooden beads, felt scraps, and leftover cardboard make for a rustic manger scene.  Clara's gymnastics teachers always receive a fabulous gift.  Clara has told me that she will make one for me too.

5.  Amanda Blake Soule's "Handmade Home" book (her 2nd book--the 1st is on my shelf and has been well-used).  I'm finally reading it.  I can't believe I've been missing out on it for this long!  We've been deep in her sewing and papier mache projects that all of my kids (and me) can do and enjoy!

6.  Simplicity Parenting --a wonderful book by Kim John Payne.  This was recommended to me by my naturopath.  His tips are most fabulous and right up my alley.  This really is a well-rounded guide for simplifying your life for families and children (tips for simplifying toys, books, adult talk, and bringing rituals into your life that make sense and reduce "clutter" in many ways).  We've already made a "book library" upstairs, keeping only a handful of books on our bookshelf at all times.  So, we're reading the same books over and over, really digging in deep (which the kids love, and I'll admit I do too because the books we choose are GOOD books).  I'm amazed at the questions and thoughts that still are brought up even after reading a book a dozen times.  The kids are really learning new words, and words from other languages, but also (and most importantly) really going deep with the characters and the story.  Next on my bookshelf is Byron Katie.

7.  YouTube haircuts!  I wish I had a picture of this...But, we've been cutting our own hair.  I should say that Todd has been cutting his own hair for a while, but I was too nervous until Ruthie cut a chunk out of her hair one day.  I decided that I might as well take the opportunity to see if I could cut "girl hair."  So I gave her a stacked bob cut that was pretty easy and so cute!  It was so fun that I decided to cut my own!  It's not bad, but most of all, it was fun and we saved probably $70 with Clara's bangs being trimmed as well.  Anything can be found on YouTube!

Those are most of our "good finds" for now.  May they be useful to all of you as well.  Happy Solstice and Merry Christmas!

A Homeschooling Day

My friends and I have begun talking about a typical day in our homeschooling life.  I detailed one out to my pals, and it was such a fun exercise that I thought I would write about one on my blog.  Yesterday is more fun to write about than today, so here is yesterday.  (Boy, the cows are mooing loudly tonight...I wonder why)

1.  Wake between 7:30-8:15.  Breakfast is oatmeal.  They eat it, although they want pancakes tomorrow.  We light the candle on the table and blow it out at the end of our meal (something we recently began, thanks to the book I just finished "Simiplicity Parenting"--more on that later).  There is some fighting over who will blow out the candle.  We have to work through that some more.  I didn't walk this morning...had trouble getting out of bed.

2.  Clara marked off the day on her calendar, noticed that today is Hannakuh (spelling...I should know how to spell that).  She told me she wanted to research Hannakuh sometime today.  There was also counting of days until Christmas. 

3.  I don't do dishes this morning after breakfast but fold laundry quickly and give the kids each their pile.  Then we read.  (Simon has already decided that he doesn't want to go to Day Camp today and maybe not until Spring.) Todd has left for work.

4.  We read "The Turnip, " (for Clara) "When the Sun Rose," (for Ruthie) and about Cheetahs (for Simon).  This took us more than an hour.  There ended up being A LOT of discussion about Cheetahs (virtually everything about them) and the moral of "The Turnip."  Clara reads a little to us out of one of her books.  Then the children go off to play their new running game, and I went outside to open up the coop and take out the compost finally.  Ruthie is wearing underpants today, and I also get her set up and ready for the day in her underpants.

5.  We have a late morning snack of vegetables made into a smiley face.  The kids are really into their running game, so I make a vegetable soup for lunch.  The kids think it is delicious, but then it is just Simon who thinks so.  They decide to have 1/2 sandwich and rice cakes with it at the end. We sing some Christmas carols together, and then I put on some Christmas music. By this time it is past 1:00.  Clara spends some time telling us the time occasionally as she is excited that she is mastering this.

6.  The kids want to look at flags on our maps and are excited to pick out the ones that they know.  Then they decide they want me to name a country and give them clues as to where the flag is.  We do this for quite a while, and they enjoy the similarities between some of the flags (UK flag is on a lot of other flags, one is all green, Japan just has a dot, etc.)

7.  I spend some time on the phone today, which is unusual.  The kids are really engaged in their play (dollhouse and that running game--their clothes are now mostly off even though it is 60 degrees in our house.)  This is a big cooking day today, so I also prepare supper at this time.  Ruthie helps me cut up vegetables.  Actually I cut today, and she puts the vegetables in the dish.  We are having salmon, beet/winter squash salad, and sweet potato fries tonight. 

8.  We decide it is time to research Hannakuh, so we find a comfy seat on the couch and look it up on the internet since we don't have a book on it today.  We read about it, discuss it and the Jewish tradition in general.  Then we find the Dreidal song and watch people singing it on YouTube.  Then we sing it ourselves for a while.  We are still doing this when friends come to the door.  No nap today for Ruthie

9.  It is now time for Gymnastics, so I take a quick shower (finally), remind the kids to get dressed, prepare a small snack, grab out play-doh and we head out the door at 3:40 for Livingston (after shutting the coop because it will be dark when we return).  We sing Christmas carols in the car.

10.  Gymnastics was fun today.  Clara was excited to be accomplishing new skills, and she just always has fun in social settings.  Simon, Ruthie, and I had fun watching, making new friends, playing foozball (again--spelling!), and playing with play-doh.  We leave at 5:20 for home.  We sing more Christmas carols in the car.

11.  We drop off Clara's buddy at her house and spend some time in their chicken coop and chatting before arriving home at about 5:45.  I throw the fish in the oven (everything else is already cooked, but I heat it up too).  Todd is working late tonight, so we eat without him.  We light the candle, and all the kids have now decided to blow it out together at the end of the meal.  This actually works, and everyone is satisfied.

12.    We decide to do what each kid wants to do now.  Simon begins making collage cards (he has a big bird, big cat, chicken theme).  While he is doing this, Clara asks me to work on a code for her to crack.  So, while I am making simple symbols to correspond with letters for a sentence I have developed, she begins making a code for me to crack (MUCH more elaborate than mine, I might add).  She cracks my code, and I crack hers.  It was about Hannakuh, and she tells me that she was the only kid who knew today's holiday at Gymnastics today.  Simon is really into his collage, and Ruthie is "making her own."  I think Ruthie played in the bath as well. 

13.  It is now 8:15, and I'm encouraging the kids to wrap up so we can move towards bedtime.  We had decided we would read before bed.  Todd is now home.  The kids are excited and show him their codes, collages, and ask him to quiz them on the flags.  He is overwhelmed but excited that everyone is so content and harmonious.  He reads to the kids after they get ready for bed.  I finally begin washing dishes.  They read until about 9:00 and then the younger 2 go to bed after willingly packing their backpacks for our Madison roadtrip tomorrow.  Clara still wants me to read to her, so I read a little to her and she reads a little to me.  She ends up going to sleep after she informs me that she picks a time on her clock in which she will fall asleep.  Then she tucks her clock into her sleeping bag with  her, reminding me to make a new code for her tomorrow.

14.  Now that it is 9:45, it is time to work on a Christmas project and talk with Todd.  We end up going to bed at 11:45 tonight, which is late for us. I am again mesmerized by how dark it is outside with the new moon as I slide into bed and can't see any light at all around me

That was our day yesterday.  There is no real typical day for us, but this was yesterday--a harmonious Wednesday which left a smile on my face as I lay my head on my pillow because not everyday goes like this.

How a Unit Study Happened

So I was never interested in Robin Hood as a little girl.  I don't know why exactly, but I just wasn't.  But my children are, and I am now as well, and this is how it happened.

I became interested in European royalty.  I began reading books on Isabella, Eleanor, Elizabeth I, Marie Antoinette, "Bloody Mary", Henry VIII, etc. 

Clara noticed this and also wanted to read about royalty.  So, we checked out "To Be a Princess," "Extraordinary Women," and many others.

 In one of these books, King Richard and the Crusades was mentioned, and Robin Hood.  Simon, especially, found the short story and pictures interesting. 

Then in one of those American Girls movies (they really are great!), the one about Kitt and The Great Depression, there was talk about taking from the rich and giving to the poor.  This became a topic of conversation, the idea of it was fascinating to us (why would someone do that?  how could there even be a need to do that?  what would that time look like?  is it like that now?, etc. etc. etc.)

We soon found ourselves looking for books on Robin Hood from the library.

We have read these stories over and over this fall, looking at the pictures, learning about the characters, learning about items from that period of time, when these stories took place in relation to Elizabeth I and where, begun practicing British accents, etc.  We found a kids' version of Robin Hood on video just recently.  It was somewhat different in the storytelling, so we enjoyed discussing the differences in the versions of the story.

There has been so much study of Robin Hood that the kids' play often consists of pretending to be Robin Hood of Loxley, Maid Marion, Prince John, Little John, etc., acting out the story with cosumes and props and storylines, and adding to the story as well.  There has even been some piano playing background music that has been added to the play for dramatic effect.  I see the making of bows and arrows in our future possibly.

So we have ended up in the middle of a Robin Hood unit study without ever planning it.  It just happened.  Because one thing of interest led to another.

Made From Scratch

So we've been in full creation mode!  Even I have been reviving my crocheting and have been making "hats," although I'm just finally getting it right on my 4th hat.  Maybe it would help if I followed a pattern...

Here's Clara's finished marionette project (spelling...I guess I should have looked at that before).  She created a fairy, making the gown, face, hair, crown, arms, and wand. 

And here was her next project at Shake Rag: a totem pole from recycled wood!

And then there was the party "streamers" that we decided to make after seeing something like it at one of our churches.  I had originally seen the idea in Amanda Blake Soule's "The Creative Family."  This was one of the easiest and coolest projects we've done.  The kids love the colors and are already excited about putting it up for each birthday!

Here are the kids working on fairy house furniture after reading fairy books one day this week.  They made the sweetest little beds and used the cupcakes we made out of felt as cute little pillows.  We also walked around outside picking out materials for fairy houses.  We found the most wonderful stump, but need some help with the lifting yet.  This has also led to making shoes for Clara's tooth fairy, Rainbow Sparkle.

More recent creations:  a fairy elevator (complete with toad stool), pillows and a sleeping bag sewn for Simon's koala bear, and one of the beds with the cupcake pillow.

And I couldn't leave out the soup we made tonight with our salmon and sweet potato fries.  I never would have tried this soup before our new nutritional plan.  It is called "Garlic Spinach Soup" straight out of the Complete Candida Yeast Guidebook.  Eighteen garlic cloves are used with this recipe, so it is a super candida-fighter. I didn't know if anyone would eat it, and Simon asked for a 2nd bowl!  (I did puree it because I knew there would be NO CHANCE that it would have been consumed if I didn't.)  But, he is also the boy who demands broccoli now.  His tastes have really changed since beginning the Candida Diet just as the book says they do. 

This is a little bit of what we have been making from scratch these days.

Girls Day Out

Clara and I spent the day together in Madison yesterday, and what a day it was!  There were new boots, new light blue eyeglasses, Uno's Pizza for lunch (where Clara got to make her own pizza!), the biggest and most beautiful cupcakes from Gigi's Cupcakes at Hilldale for a snack (I wish I had taken pictures of those cupcakes...they were so beautiful and HUGE).  And then there was the Chazen Museum, where we took in some Warhol, an interesting display of different depictions of Mary and Jesus, and tons of college kids all texting with heads down or listening to their itunes (is that what you call it?). 

The day's finale was a spectacular performace by the Radio City Rockettes at the Alliant Energy Center!  This was Clara's requested birthday present.  We were both giddy and glued to those high kicks for the whole 1 1/2 hours, our favorite parts being the shiny outfits and when they all fell down on each other in a line while dressed as toy soldiers.  Did anyone know that the Rockettes used to be called the Roxyettes, that thousands of girls try out each year to be in their precision dance line, and that they have been famous for 75 years?

Once we were home, all three kids put on a spectacular "line dance" of their own for Todd and I, complete with some choreography.  What a wonderful ending to a marvelous day.  Ahhh, so much talking and sharing and laughing, and being mother and daughter.  We both learned so much today, about so many things and about each other...a special day for sure. 

Our Adventures With The New Gals and other news

We've been spending a lot of time with the ladies we have borrowed for the winter to keep Woodchuck/Acorn company.  Have I mentioned that Woodchuck has a new name because "he" is probably a "she" and most certainly can't be "Woodchuck" anymore?  She must have a more feminine name, per the children!  I still tend to call her "Woodchuck" though.  Anyhow, I'm introducing "Miss Honey" and "Miss Eleven."  Miss Honey is a Buff Orphington and Miss Eleven is a Rhode Island Red.  They are definitely the bosses and have let Woodchuck/Acorn know this important detail with pecking and chasing.  This has been rather interesting to watch. 

What has been even more interesting to watch has been the "laying of the eggs." We weren't prepared for egg-laying, but we were able to put together a pretty nice makeshift nesting box from a drawer we found in the run-down chicken coop on our property, an old laundry basket, a blanket, and some wood shavings. 

The ladies seem to like it and have already been taking turns laying eggs in it.  When Miss Honey is laying, Miss Eleven patrols the door of the chicken tractor, clucking LOUDLY until she has finished.  When Miss  Eleven is laying, Miss Honey stands at the door like a sentinel until she has finished.  We have become fascinated with this behavior, to say the least.  If we aren't outside with them, we are inside watching through the window.

We are also completely fascinated with comparing their eggs... looking at the size, color, specks, and shape. 

The one on the left is from Miss Eleven, the RI Red.  The one on the right is from Miss Honey, the BO.  This has led us to research breeds.  We have found that Woodchuck/Acorn is an Ameraucana and will lay blue/green eggs someday.  We are also learning about temperaments, which ones are good layers, which ones are good mothers, etc.  We are pretty obsessed with chickens right now.

  Ruthie's favorite, however, still is Woodchuck/Acorn.  She loves to hold her on her lap.  Who needs dogs or cats, huh?:)

When we aren't with the chickens we are building forts, building and painting shelves from scrap wood, reading more Magic Tree House books, and lots of other stuff.  More later on our Hungarian Day today and tomorrow's day with The Rockettes!

Enjoying Each Other

So, we've just been at home mostly for the last few days (except for a Shake Rag class and a Gymnastics class), which is quite unusual for us.  And I think we were all ready for some quiet home togetherness.  I love being out and about, seeing friends, playing at different places, and field-tripping, but I also have a special place in my heart for extended days spent just at home doing whatever fancies us.  So this is what we have been doing...

We have become obsessed with The Magic Tree House series and have already read the 1st four books.  Clara and I decided to make a chart to keep track of all of them, complete with theme, what we learned, what saved Annie and Jack, and a picture.  Amazingly, all of that fits into a super small space on our chart.  Clara liked the mummies, and Simon liked the dinosaurs.  (The chart was inspired by the chart Todd made with the kids for the election results...a big hit as well.  This, by the way, obviously made an impression on Simon who is telling people who we voted for and why.)

There have also been:
*Shows (where Clara performed the "Fog Dance" and Simon, the "Dog Dance")
*Note-writing to friends, family, and each other
*All kinds of math work with little notes with numbers all over the living room for the cars and marbles
*Sliding around on coats and sleeping bags
*Studying Helen Keller
*Family Drawing Time
*Broche-making (spelling???)
*More learning to read
*Singing to the max
*more that I can't remember right now

And, today we brought home a couple of friends for Woodchuck (who now, apparently, is a girl, and we must re-name her "Acorn").  Her new pals are "Honey" and "Miss Eleven" who are being borrowed from friends to keep Woodchuck/Acorn company during the winter.  They have been introduced and done some pecking at each other.  But they cuddled together to sleep tonight, and we are thrilled that they are here.  I'm sure I'll have pictures very soon.  It's been a good few days..

We did it?

Between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. we butchered 17 chickens.  It is done.  It was anxiety-provoking, scary, interesting, amazing, perspective-changing, educational, prayer-inducing, and exhausting.  That's a lot of emotions to move through in one day.  We are now hoping that they will taste good, but we are also wondering if we will even be able to eat them.  There's a good chance there will always be questions like, "I wonder if this was the one with the bad eye?"  Then I'll be faced either with placing my fork back beside my plate, picking up my spoon instead to use with my soup, or continuing to eat my beautiful chicken that was raised with love for this very purpose.   Indeed I must remember they must have died for a purpose, and they must fulfill their destiny by nourishing our bodies (that was part of our prayer this morning as we began the process).

This is what I know: 
1.  When I do eat our chickens, I'm certain I won't be able to waste any of it...not after this.
2.  I will probably continue what I have already began... eating less meat, for it's far too precious to eat without it really being special and eaten intentionally.  And something can't be special if it happens in haste, can it?  (something to ponder)
3.  I miss our chickens, and I want to build a coop immediately for housing chickens during the winter
4.  I feel sorry for Woodchuck all alone right now
5.  Clara may become a vegetarian after today, while Ruthie found the entire experience incredibly interesting.
6.  I will be reflecting on this experience for many weeks to come
7.  This is the beginning of something for our family

The Last Breakfast

The scorching pot, plucker, killing cone, and 2-gallon bags are ready.  Other than that, I'm not sure we have much of a plan (actually I don't, I'm sure Todd does).  We fed the chickens breakfast for the last time this morning.  By the end of the day tomorrow they will laying in our freezer.  We've discussed it a lot as a family...even before we received them in the mail.  Once again, I think I am the one who is holding back tears.  Everyone else already seems prepared to make a chicken noodle soup with them.  Such is life. 

Our many questions about the process of live "pet" to meat on our plate:  Will we be able to tell easier which are roosters and which were hens?  Will we find eggs inside the hens?  Will their feet really make tasty chicken stock?  Will the plucker look like a snow machine during the process?  What will Woodchuck think about why he was spared?  How long will this all take? 

So we'll spend one last afternoon and evening learning from them and enjoying their magnificence...

Brewery Tour

So, after watching the "Samantha" American Girls movie (year-1904)), we had a lively discussion about factories since factories were just forming during that time period.  The kids decided that they wanted to go see some factories themselves, so they chose...the New Glarus Brewery!!!  So, we traveled there today and toured the brewery.  Clara was mesmerized, and I must admit it was pretty amazing watching all of those bottles travel around so quickly.  The magnetized bottle cap holder were also a favorite.  An interesting discussion occurred about the fact that actual people used to do those jobs instead of machines.  More wows. 

The whole trip was full of adventure.  The actual town of New Glarus was fun to be in, so many interesting patterns on all of the buildings (the diamonds and circles)...fascinating for Clara as well as Simon.  The park where we ate lunch was bombarded with 6th graders who ran over to play for 5 minutes while on their way to a 1:00 lunch at the high school, a treat for them every other Monday per their teacher.  We watched them, mesmerized by their energy, until they left.  The monster dollhouse in a storefront window built in a Swiss style was drooled over by Clara, who wasn't sure if we could get it through the door.  What may have been the most fun were the large boulders in front of the brewery...perfect for climbing and finding secret paths.    What may have been the biggest bummer was the fact that we were not able to sample after the tour.  Todd still can't even believe that we went to a brewery and didn't drink any beer.

So, the kids now want to tour more factories.  We'll see where we are led.  I forgot my camera...HUGE bummer. 

When Given Lemons...

This is what we found yesterday shortly before leaving for a birthday gathering.  I left the present in the car specifically because I thought it would be the safest place.  We have a little lady who loves to open things.  She went outside to play, and when she returned I asked her what she had found outside.  She told me she was opening the birthday present.  Here was the opportune Aldort moment.  Lots of thoughts went through my head, but I chose to say "I feel sad" which I DID NOT need to say (I'll keep working on that).  I said to her "it's hard to resist opening a present" to which she began to cry.  I said to her "you feel sad" of which she actually replied "I wanted the present to be for me."  WOW!  She cried for another minute and then went on about her business.  Without the help of Aldort, that moment would have been a nightmare for her (and for everyone else).  Thank you, Aldort.  Best moment of the day.

Anyway, so neither Clara nor Simon were angry about the present opening, even though they had been so excited about the wrapping job.  Instead, Clara said "Mom, we can use cloth!"  They both ran inside to find the perfect cloth and this is what followed. 

Much more interesting indeed.

So, this led to more sewing projects that day.  Heart-shaped pillows for her dolls...

of which her dolls slept on that night...complete with a nightgown fashioned with Ruthie's old pants

and I just have to throw in the outfit Clara fashioned for Ruthie out of her own old dress and pants...

Lemons made into lemonade indeed.

Top Ten Loves and Clara's Annoyance List

CURRENT TOP TEN LIPPERT FAMILY INDOOR LOVES AND THEIR USES

(the current outdoor loves are, of course, the chickens, rope, and the trees...the three aren't ever used together at the same time though:)

Marbles

 (games of all kinds, counting, actual family members that ride in cars, sorting toys for the little one, balls, and just beautiful things to look at and admire)

Colorful Silks

(scarves, dresses, skirts, capes, dance props, blankets, curtains, you name it!)

Nuts of all kinds--Acorns, Horse Chestnuts, Hazelnuts) and Shells 

(again...people, balls, games, art projects, food for dolls, fun things to hold)

Blankets

(beds, hide-outs, caves, tunnels, curtain!, roads)

Cloth Scraps

(used for making and sewing just about everything)

Yarn

(rope, roads, hair, belts, pulley systems, seatbelts for dolls, hitches, just fun to cut)

Blocks

(houses and castles, marble runs, towers, roller coasters, roads, rooms, designs)

Money

(designs, counting, food)

Books about fun characters

(for dreaming and imagining)

Lyra Colored Pencils and Paper

(for creating everything else)

TOP FOUR THINGS THAT BOTHER CLARA

 (she just asked me to include this)

1. My siblings

2.  mosquito bites

3.  chicken poop

4.  escorting Simon to various destinations in the house

First Play and What We Are Eating!

Clara's 1st play today at Shake Rag.  She was the snow fairy and was so excited about her part and to be on the stage.  A year ago she was not interested at all in being in a play, and this year she asked to do it, practiced her lines at home all the time, and couldn't wait to perform it. 

Meanwhile, here's a peek into what we are eating these days for those who keep asking me what a typical day of food is in our house.  So, here goes... 

Candida Diet (Day 24) & Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free Diet

Breakfast:  Gluten-Free Oats (rolled or steel-cut) with almond or rice milk and blueberries & raspberries

Snack:  Carrots & homemade Hummus

Lunch:  leftover beans & rice with salsa & guacamole; potato salad with winter squash, peppers and green beans; leftover kale salad; leftover lamb and sweet potato fries; rice cakes with almond butter...everybody had something different today to finish up our leftovers; almond or rice milk or water to drink

Snack:  Apple slices with almond butter and pear slices

Supper:  Gluten-free Multi-Grain Pasta (DeBoles--good brand!) that is made from rice, amaranth & quinoa with a sauce of olive oil, onion, garlic, red peppers, broccoli, and great northern beans (we actually aren't supposed to have white beans on the Candida Diet right now, but I did it any way...hopefully it is OK); almond or rice milk to drink (yes, the kids did eat this...mostly...it was good by the way!)

No bedtime snack tonight because we were out late riding horses and bottle-feeding calves -didn't eat supper until after 7:00

This is a typical food day for us except that we usually have a little bit bigger supper.  That sounds pretty normal and tasty, doesn't it?  You would never know that we aren't eating wheat, gluten, eggs, soy, dairy, peanuts, walnuts, yeast, vinegar, sugar, honey, maple syrup (or any other sweetener), fruit (except for apples, pears, and berries), potatoes (actually Todd and I are), meat (except for rabbit, lamb, fish, and the chickens we are raising), processed foods, foods from restaurants, anything that isn't organic, and probably other things that I don't even think about eating anymore and have forgotten they exist.  (It was kind of fun to write all of that.)  None of us are going hungry.  Everyone is happy for the most part (I do miss dairy, though, and Ruthie still misses everything but only when she sees it).  The folks with food sensitivities appear to be healing.  We feel the healthiest we have ever felt.  We'll see where it goes from here... 

American Girl=educational?

Who knew the American Girl series could be educational?  Maybe everyone did but me already.  I had crossed it off as not being for us, but we checked out Kitt Kitridge (spelling?) because Clara wanted to, and it was educational as well as entertaining!  It is about a girl in the Depression Era.  And, it is rated "G."  Wow!  And come to find out there are others in the series that sound just as educational!  There is "Felicity" about a girl growing up during the American Revolution, "Samantha" about a girl growing up during the turn of the century, and "Molly" about a girl growing up during WWII.  We're checking out "Felicity" next since we have studied American Revolution era.  I guess one never knows what one might be missing...

Clara's Laura Ingalls Wilder Day

The day finally came on Tuesday that Clara had been looking forward to since the Laura Day at Shake Rag in August.  It was a perfect day of friends and pioneer fun!

Making Rag Dolls

making dumplings for the Jackrabbit stew

eating the stew!

Making animal books and eating apples

Creating a space for play with the rag dolls and covered wagons and Lincoln Logs from the day

the rag dolls created by Clara

Clara in the nightcap I made for her

the covered wagon

a willow bough broom

Our pioneer unit seems to be complete!  We have read books about Laura Ingalls Wilder and others during the pioneer days, mapped out Laura's houses on our map, watched the Pioneer Life for Children series, toured the pioneer-era spring houses at Gov Dodge State Park, attended the Old Threshers Reunion (where we experienced weaving, spinning, asking questions about an old log house, watched a saloon show and a train robbery!, etc.), attended the Laura Ingalls Wilder Day at Shake Rag (where Clara milked a goat, churned butter, made home-made ice cream, made a candle, weaved, watched a blacksmith, played pioneer games, made rag dolls, etc.), made bonnets, made a nightcap, put together pioneer outfits, designed and addressed invites for our Laura Day, learned pioneer songs, made tanagrams, did everything in the pictures above (made Jackrabbit Stew and Dumplings, willow bough brooms, animal books, rag dolls, built log homes, made a covered wagon), and probably a lot more that I have already forgotten unfortunately.  What a fun unit!

And now we seem to be moving on to important figures in our history (mainly women) and math, reading, going to see the Rockettes, getting in character for the play, and taking care of the chickens (learning about what animal may have gotten into the chicken tractor by how the remains look the next morning...and how to protect our chicks better for the future!)...and much much more!  The fun never ends!

My Love-Hate Relationship with Children's Museums

So the last couple of days at our house have been focused on play!  Yeah!  I adore seeing friends, and I also adore the quiet rest of time spent at home in the presence of familiar.  There is something so freeing about the gift of time without any restraints, any requirements, or anything put in front of us to "do something with."  This idea sits on a high pedestal in my mind as something of importance to always strive for...to be faithful to as much as possible, especially for my little ones.  Friends of ours have a family motto...a single word that they have chosen to be more important than all others.  Theirs is "freedom," which fits me but I couldn't copy them:) so I searched for a different word.  I found that interesting, and for me that word is "faithful."  I strive to be faithful to what I believe is important, what I believe to be my purpose, what I believe to be the reason I am here.

So today when I was at the new Children's Museum to meet friends of ours, I began to wonder if I was living my motto.  Now, not to take anything away from the Children's Museum...it is beautiful and wonderful and creative, and I was amazed by the creative effort that went into the remodeling of it.  But, it was packed full of people, noisy, and there were stations everywhere already set up for the children, which I must say I really enjoyed myself.  But, again a "but," my children were showing signs of being fearful of all the people much of the time, Todd and I were worn out from searching for them at all times, and we were inside for hours on a beautiful day.  And, my kids never got to explore to find something on their own or make up their own play/game the way they do at home or they way they do with friends when they play.   So, was this a day well-spent for my family?  Something to ponder for the future...maybe I'm just looking for something to argue about again.  Afterall, I did go on a slightly ridiculous rampage about $10 parking for the Badger game today.

All of that said, now I give the pictures from the events of our last couple of days...

Simon climbing a tree for the 1st time...he was so proud!

Face Painting for our roles in the play...I really was happy!

willow boughs in bunches for broom making at Clara's Laura Day next week!

The end of our face painting extravaganza

Clara cutting the potatoes into halves and thirds for potato salad

The Potato People that Clara made in her own special way

The scarecrow Clara designed with friends

Ruthie's love affair with water

Car Ride Conversations

Car trips seem to be a part of our life, and not just short trips to the library or social events but LONG trips of 2 or more hours one way.  Of course, at times they are stressful, but often they are quite interesting and the members of our family entertain themselves quite easily.  There are always backpacks full of sketch books, our favorite Lyra colored pencils, and the odd toy that hasn't been played with in a while.  There is always a huge back of books placed in the middle of all the kids, for easy reaching.  Usually the books are new library books, scattered with a few old favorites.  There used to be fun music CDs, until the CD player in the car was accidentally broken.  Now we sing our own songs, making up many as well.  We now play 20 Questions frequently as well, and that doesn't include the questions that Simon fires at us from the moment we buckle our seat belts.

The most interesting parts of our trips, however, are usually the conversations.  Some examples of recent include discussions of cloud patterns, testosterone, how rainbow colors form (using sketch books and colored pencils), death, role playing how the kids might feel and respond in tough situations with other kids, and what each of us might be doing in 8 years (Ruthie will be diving out of airplanes while enjoying kale salad, and Simon will be running on teams and eating ice cream for 3 meals a day.  Clara will be living in Spain...oh wait, Davenport as a swimming instructor).

The Lippert car trips...always interesting.  

Welcome Autumn!

So the "Grandpa and Grandma" fieldtrip adventure is now complete.  Clara's time consisted of harvesting chestnuts (learning how to get to the nut through the spiny shell but using her feet to open the shell...the demonstration was fabulous), working on and completing a 500-piece puzzle with Grandpa Roger, making a tree identification book, learning about poison ivy and squirrels' favorite nuts, and "mini dipping" (which I just can't describe right now), and much more.  Brother and sister were sure happy to pick her up and get to play with Grandpa and Grandma a little bit as well.

Our day of friends and activities was today, our Social Wednesday.  Simon is excited to have a new friend to run with at Day Camp and doesn't seem to be bothered by eating a different snack than everyone else.  Apparently, he actually yelled out "hummus...yum!"  Clara is thoroughly enjoying being in the play at ShakeRag and insisted on reading through her script twice at the park and each page 10 times at home tonight.

We finished off this 1st day of Autumn with a bonfire in the backyard where we poked the fire, worried about Simon and Ruthie falling in, discussed what would happen if they would, were able to relax for a little bit while listening to the chicks cuddle up and end their peeping for the night.

Welcome Autumn.  We're ready to explore all that you have to offer.

The joy of all things new and beautiful

Today, I was stuck by the "awesomeness" of all things new and beautiful around my children and the family as a whole and the impact of this on us now and in the future.  My awareness of this began on my way home from an afternoon of "personal renewal" while the kids got Daddy to themselves.  I watched a calf nursing and felt warmth throughout my soul.  Life right there in front of me, continuing, while a twing of sadness penetrated my heart as I remembered my own nursing experience that ended only a few weeks ago.  Nevertheless, a smile drifted across my face.  Beauty before my eyes.  So much beauty.  May my eyes always be open to witness it, participate in it, and create it.

Woodchuck

experiencing the sound of the wind

the newness of the new car slide