Full Circle

While we do enjoy pizza night, on those crazy nights and on those we just need a little more ease, it hasn't been a pizza month! It has been a busy, rich few weeks filled with lots of crafting, visiting, walking (yes he walks!), adventures, trips. I will post pictures below filling you, (more my memory actually) in.
Although it was a wonderful month, we did come full circle. Last week was one of those needed pizza nights. Our family member Marly, who has been in our lives for eleven years died. We needed to put her down due to a long list of painful ailments. It was an extremely difficult thing to do, and everyone is still finding a way to work through all the intense emotions that accompany their loss. We were all with her during the process, each whispering how we love her so in her ear, singing to her as she left. I have been amazed at how in tune with their feelings, honest in this process my kids have been. Not to say its been easy, but that they have given themselves permission to be in the moment with their grief and honest about where they are at.
Marly joined Chris and I right after we got married. We were still in university, so she would come to the local pub, to classes, for the evening to a friends house. She travelled back and forth between Ontario and New Brunswick on visits home. When we went out west to live she sat front seat, while pregnant me lay in the back. As children came she went from the front seat of the VW van, to the back seat of our Honda, to the trunk of the mini van. She let kids take kibble out of her mouth, wore antlers Christmas morning, and without fail greeted us with love every time we walked through the door. She was there through every step of our life as a family. She will be missed.

Sometimes its just a pizza night

Creating and maintaining balance in mine and my family's life is a topic I have been discussing with friends recently. The often delicate line of time at home or out of the house, individual needs of 6 people (of course not always being the same), time as a family, planned or unplanned time and which group activities to participate. When should we choose some down time and when will 4 activities be energizing. Throw the fluctuating emotions of very different ages and personality types into the mix and the balance can be tipped. I am learning, I am trying to tune in to when we need to pull back and when feasting on activities might work. Sometimes when a rhythm seems to emerge, naps change, teething starts, emotional growth happens and we need to start again.

The other day we were starting again. It was one of those days that wasn't too over scheduled; dance class for one while my other two get to be the centre of attention to all the other mums (which they love), and just before dinner our french co-op. It was also one of those days that just didn't start out on the right foot. There were emotional meltdowns by 8a.m., Shai wanted to be nursed none stop, there was no clean laundry and no one could find anything they wanted to eat for breakfast. I felt determined to rise to the challenge (it was Monday after all); nursing on the go in the sling, hugging and cuddling in between laundry and muffin making. By 10 a.m. there was a whole container of juice spilled, the bucket of playmobile spilled, children refusing to dress and the car keys gone missing. I was starting to feel more challenged then determined.

Sigh. Children dressed, keys found off to dance class. Class goes well, kids fight all the way home in car. After a very tense lunch sandwiched with bickering, we decide as a family to do some table work (because in retrospect that is what we needed to do!). It went as well as you can imagine; ending with proud mum moments (kwim), all three kids in their rooms listening to books on tape while I nursed on the couch chatting to a friend on the phone.
After venting and great suggestions, I gathered the kids and went for a walk. I came home and put a movie on. In the quiet I decided pizza was the best option for dinner and called Chris to pick it up. Thank goodness for pizza. The food, but also the process of letting go, of giving in to a hard day and taking care by choosing the ease of pizza. Granted it took me until the end of the day (thankfully not always), but it was freeing to let go.

It's interesting because the next day was extremely busy; table time, store to buy track pants, grocery store to shop, home for lunch, three hot meals made from scratch (really good ones too), fishing and hiking, library, running around the track and family time. Not once did we feel stressed, or rushed or overwhelmed. The rhythm was smooth and peaceful. Perhaps the crash of the day before was making way for a new flow, a shift.

I try to live my life intentionally, aware of my choices and what I am choosing. This is sometimes easier than at others. I think that some days are pizza days. Days we need to treat ourselves with kindness, that sometimes we need to surrender to the flow of life and that of our families. I believe our choice to home school provides a lifestyle in which I can see more clearly the ebb and flow, it gives me and my children the freedom (and sometimes the wisdom) to listen to how we need to spend the day (even if it's in retrospect). I can change the schedule more often than not if I need to. We can choose to be busy and out all day, we can choose to spend it in our pj's reading books on the couch, we can cook three meals a day or order pizza. The gift though is in honouring our needs, being in touch with where we are at, and realizing the wonderful moments that come with letting go. Perhaps balance is not smooth sailing which I have been equating it with. Perhaps it is the flow. The back and forth, the up and down like a teeter totter. The movement of life as opposed to the juggling to maintain a steady scale. I think we have shifted.

We all going to the zoo

It was a beautiful 25 degrees today, perfect for our visit to the zoo. Part of Ben's birthday gift was an adoption of a baboon at the zoo. We choose today to view it because kids were free when they dressed up for Halloween. We decided to go low key with minimal pirate gear, to ensure we were comfortable for the day.

Ben was thrilled to see the baboons, one of whom was about 1month old. The other highlights were watching the orangutans come out to search for snacks. The large daddy was absolutely enormous and so majestic. The gorillas are a personal favorite. Lunch was a picnic on the grass...end of October at that!

Race Time

This morning the boys participated in a cross country race organized by a neighbouring home school group. It was a cold and windy morning. The emotions were tender, not knowing what to expect combined with fear and excitement that comes with competition. One of my guys is highly competitive and the other totally non competitive. I had no idea how it would go, a little concerned that one would back out and regret it and that the other might get very upset if his finishing place wasn't what he expected.
I needn't have feared. They both did amazingly well. They ran hard and tried hard, they came in 3rd place as a home school group in their age category. One saw how his practices paid off and how he could improve for next year (next year!?). The other stuck it out and had no regrets. It was amazing to about 100 kids between 5-adult run different races with their parents and siblings cheering them on. I was teary as they came in across the finish line, when I turned to tell Chris how proud I was of them, he was teary too.

On a roll

I am finally getting caught up! I am back tracking, filling in blanks and writing new posts, its a very exciting time!

All I want for Christmas....

That's right. An alpaca (well two) have been added to the Christmas list. We visited a local Alpaca farm with our coop, and we have left totally in love with this beautiful animal. We went knowing very little and learned an immense amount in a small time. (especially that we love them and want to have some....did I mention that Chris?)

They are gentle animals, who like to live in herds. Their fleece is incredibly soft. There were different hands on stations set up for us learn through. One had fleece out for us to feel. The raw and washed alpaca fleece felt almost identical, unlike sheep's fleece which had such a contrast because of the high lanolin content prior to being washed.

There was a spinning wheel to watch, hand spinning to try and a wonderful loom that each of the kids got a chance to work with. They generously gave us the piece of weaving the kids worked on, we plan to use it as part of a centre piece for our potlucks.

The kids enjoyed some time to run around afterwards at a nearby park, the adults a chance to chat and connect.

Too much felting?

We have been enthralled with a new passion in felting. It began through the fibre arts coop we are a part of. We are experimenting with needle felting and wet felting. Last night I attended a class to learn how to make a squirrel out of felted material. It is so cute...and quite easy to make. I am left feeling crafty and wanting to do more. Its fueling a part of me that has been dormant the past few months, its great to be tapping into it again.
So lit with a spark we head to a local angora goat farm and fibre mill. We received a spontaneous tour and a warm welcome. Our visit had been preceded by numerous friends the previous week and as a result he knew all about us. Once home we started on some mini mice, purses and dragonflies. We are thrilled with our projects.
Last night when I did my rounds to make sure everyone still had their blankets on I found the boys snuggled up as usual. One of them was talking about felting in his dream, rubbing his brothers arm and felting it....up and down with his hand like you do with a felting needle! Could it be too much of a good thing? Not at all :)

Refreshed

The local conservation areas to which we have a pass close after thanksgiving weekend. However you can still walk in and hike around. It was a beautiful autumn day, which in contrast to challenging day yesterday was going smoothly and joyfully. We decided to take advantage of the nice weather and good moods and head to one of the conservation areas. The kids brought their fishing poles and tried to catch some fish. No luck.

We climbed around on the pot holes created by swirling rock and ice when the glaciers retreated thousands of years ago. We explored one of the rivers and an old mill. Before hiking back out we found a path we haven't taken before that lead to a wonderful rocky cedar grove. I didn't see much of my three older kids, they ran off into their imagination games (which I loooove to watch). Shai and I sat on the soft ground to crawl around and explore. By the time we left I felt so relaxed and refreshed. The kids said the same before going to bed. It was a great day.

Happy Birthday

My Ben. My sweet, kind, considerate, loving little boy. So full of energy, moving all the time, exploring, planning, running, seeking. You bring so many new things to my life, you challenge and pull me in amazing ways. I can't stop myself from getting caught up in your excitement and speed, nor can I not slow down to see to the wonders of stillness you share. What a gift you are. Happy Birthday

9 months ....

Today. He is 9 months today. How is that possible? He's standing, reaching, babbling in that wonderful way and loving the piano! The kids all get a kick out of playing concerts and giving him his turn, when he is done he sits and claps. It doesn't get much cuter.

Zoom Zoom Zoom

We held our third themed family night with our home school group. My kids have been enjoying paper airplane making and have been amazed at the different types to make. This was the initiative for planning a paper airplane flying night. It couldn't simpler to plane; put out a call for those interested in trying out different types of paper airplanes they have made and let the flying begin. Of course throw in a potluck snack and a free outside venue and your set. Sadly not many pictures were taken and those that were came out sad and pathetic. But fun was had.

The floating dart
Nose heavy plane
Helicopter (very popular)
the sabertooth

The groove

I am in awe that September has passed and we are currently enjoying thanksgiving weekend. The past month has been incredibly busy with programs, co-ops, events beginning and needing planning. The weather has been unbelievably beautiful, hot and dry. I have been very intentional in trying to spend as much time sucking up the weather and the opportunity to hike and put our feet in the river, roller blade and skateboard in shorts and t-shirts, sit out late on the deck, eat dinner outside. It has been a little overwhelming trying to create and then maintain a balance for our family but more for me, while navigate our way through the new season and business.

While the balance isn't always maintained, I am feeling a little less overwhelmed. The groove seems to be emerging. I find this one of the tricky parts of homeschooling, and each year the groove we find looks so different. So I think I might get to start posting, which is something I enjoy. We'll see :) For now I want to share some of the things we have been doing during this busy time, and of course share some pictures of all my kids (especially my youngest who is almost 9 months!!!!!)

The sweetest duet

Leafy Crafts

This is a craft I absolutely love the result and the kids absolutely love the process. We have family friends visiting from England over thanksgiving and we thought napkins decorated with maple leaves were the perfect gift.

Instructions

1. gather freshly fallen leaves (it will not work well unless the leaf still has lots of juice), all types and colours

2. gather your needed supplies of a hammer, a wood board and a piece of previously washed cotton blend material

3.place your leaves on the wood, then place the material over top of the leaves.

4. hold the material in place and hammer until all the juice comes out onto the material

5. heat set with an iron and then the dryer (I always do both)

6. enjoy your new print

note: use can also use flowers, although we have yet to try that. We have made napkins, table cloths, pillows and sewn material prints on cards.

Pioneers

Our pioneer unit started out of a love for the Little House series and a few Dear Canada books, thrown in with a good dose of passion for costume dress up. It was one of those things that had a life of its own, and we truly followed our interests. Below is a list of some of the things we did on our journey back in time, combined with several village tours. I can't say we are finished exploring but our interest isn't intense. It's been fun.

making butter
making jam, biscuits, freshly squeezed lemonade for snack time
drying herbs from the garden

whittling wood
making corn husk dolls
tin can lanterns made with nail hole patterns

visiting a local pioneer cemetery
visiting pioneer villages

graphing the growth of Ontario from the 1750's- present day
tracking on a map where people came from, how long it would have taken and comparing it with today
learning who came to settle, from where and why they might have left

costumes
sewing pillows

listing children's chores and responsibilities
attempting dinner where children are seen and not heard (you can imagine how long it lasted! LOL)

a few we read
Barbara Greenwood series, especially A Pioneer Story; the daily life of a Canadian family in the 1840's and Pioneer Crafts
Sisters in the Wilderness DVD (a favorite)
Little house series
Dear Canada
House Calls; the true story of a pioneer doctor by Ainslie Mansun
Rough Tough Charley by Verla Kay
Pioneer Girl by Mary Caswell

A Marsh Adventure

After being on a schedule, taking in lots of information and surrounded by business we decided to try and balance out the weekend with a long swim at the pool followed by a hike outside. It was perfect, especially before our long drive home. We went to Cooper Marsh, conserved marshland by Ducks Unlimited. Some of the trails take you by boardwalk through the middle of the marsh. There are viewing areas scattered along the trail, allowing you to look and watch without being seen. Posted inside are identification posters. The highlights where a golden eagle, black ducks, grebes and an american bittern. During a nursing break we were lying down on the boardwalk and much to our delight we watched migrating Canadian geese in three v's formed into one, numbering no less then 1000! It was incredibly to watch them shift into place. It was a wonderful end to the weekend.

You would never believe it without a picture....

Did you ever think the treadmill was used during pioneer times? For a horse? You read that right, a treadmill for a horse. We went to the farmstead to see the grain threshing demonstration while at Upper Canada Village and were totally surprised to find the machine powered by a horse on a treadmill. When the horse walked the belt moved, in turn operating the motor of the threshing machine...and what an amazing job it did! Ben was adamant about getting some photos "Because mum, who is going to believe we saw a horse on a treadmill!"

The interpreters were amazing. They really knew what was involved in the station they were at, they encouraged us to engage in the activities and invited questions. It was great to see the kids conversing with the adults, curious about what was going on and sharing information they had learned. For all my local friends I highly recommend this for a great trip!

A weekend back in time

To complete our unit on pioneers we decided to venture to one last 1860's replica pioneer village. We have been to three others this past summer during our study, this one being different by its size and the degree to which it operates. Upper Canada Village was recreated, the houses and buildings were brought in from surrounding areas. It truly is a village, complete with all the essentials; a sawmill, a gristmill, a blacksmith, working farm, bakery, cheese making shop, dressmakers, upper class tenant farm, tow boat to ride, the shoe store, signal tower, textile factory....I could go on and on but the most impressive part was that each shop or store was working, complete with interpreters who were really an artist in their craft. The tin shop was complete with a gentlemen who has been perfecting the art of the past ten years, the cheese shop was making curds which went on sale in the general store at 2pm, the bakery make loaves for sale at noon (which meant a delicious lunch!).
We had the opportunity to see life come full circle. For example, we walked in to see the sheep in the fields and the shearing of the fleece. In one of the homes they were cleaning, carding and spinning the wool which we could watch. The factory which put the thread onto spools; something new in the 1860's, was working. We saw the incredible machinery separate the threads into colors on spools. Upstairs they were weaving blankets, that we later saw on the beds in the tavern. In the general store we bought some of the carded roving and could have bought one of their blankets.

At the farm we saw the animals in their pens, we helped make apple cider in the press, we saw them stoking the smoke house, we watched the farmers turn the soil and thresh the grains, we walked into the farm house when the farm hands were eating pork chops from the previously smoked meat, potatoes, carrots and beans from the garden, all cooked in the summer kitchen which we also toured.

We left with a real appreciation for the hard work settlers put in. Seeing all the machinery in action, the sweat on the brow of the person, trying out the bed mattress at the main homestead and then at the tenant farm and noting the difference had an impact. Its the difference between reading things in a book, then seeing it in a museum to seeing through a window back in time to a working village.

Fort Henry

This weekend we went away for some time together and to explore some sights. Our first stop after a long drive was Fort Henry. This fort was built to defend upper Canada during the war of 1812. It took four years to build the initial fort and wasn't ready to be used in the war. In fact, even though the British occupied the fort and were prepared to use it, the fort was never used in any war. It has since been restored and rebuilt for the public to see.

It is ridiculous to say "it's a shame it was never used, it was so well thought out", however there are times on the tour when that thought enters your mind. The entrance to the fort is hidden in a hill, if an intruder does find it and happen to enter, they get stuck in a dry trench. It is in this place that they designed to ensure the ammunition bounced off every wall trapping the intruder.

The living quarters, the disparities between the different ranks and the cost of moving up positions were all interesting tidbits from the tour. The kids loved climbing up to the top level of the fort to have a look at the cannons up close, see the hollowed out iron balls to be filled with ammunition and of course the firing off of some rounds. Top off the visit with cannon ball candy (flavored popping sugar with a black gumball at the end) an empty shell casing and it was a good afternoon.