what homeschooling looks like

So, we’re homeschooling. Sometimes that’s not so easy to put out there. Maybe because we are new to it, maybe because it can be such a stigma laden concept, maybe because it means so many exciting things we can hardly begin to describe it. One thing we know for sure is that it is working for us now. We don’t know what the future will bring, but right now it feels right and we are having a blast.

Right now, homeschooling looks like this:
Iris mixing and flipping her own pancakes on Sunday morning.
Gathering on Monday’s with fellow “kindergartners” to explore art, nature and music taught in rotation by alternating parents.
Building a Laura and Mary covered wagon and playing “Little House” for hours.
Tending a woolly bear caterpillar.
Gymnastics on Saturday.
Drawing pictures and dictating stories to go with them.
Listening to loads of books read aloud.
Gathering on Fridays with another group of fellow homeschoolers to explore a multi-week theme, taught in rotation by alternating parents. Recently plant families, now animal families.
Wondering about our pigs going to the butcher. Talking about where food comes from.
Burying a chicken and a horse. Talking about that too.
Feeding the dogs each morning and night.
Collecting eggs each day and tucking in the chickens (with papa) by flashlight before bed.
Cutting and pasting and painting and gluing and taping. Lots of taping.
Building forts and playing in the sandbox and recently making a snowman!
Singing and dancing and playing games with letters and words.
Checking out (on the computer) videos of dolphins playing, horses being born, pictures of Sacagawea and many other interesting questions.
Going to the Amish neighbors, the hardware store, the lumber yard, the grocery store, the library, an auction, the city, and the dump.
Making new friends and playing in new homes.
Learning the names of our five breeds of chicken and who is the hardest to catch (leghorn).
So much more.

more harvest celebration

This weekend in heat that felt like summer, we celebrated the end of the harvest at the Viroqua Harvest Parade and Celebration. Our little group of homeschooling friends made costumes and marched. (We’ve been learning plant families for the last 6 weeks, so we fit right in).

Iris was an Oxeye Daisy and Elsa was a pumpkin blossom (until she decided it was all just too much and wanted to ride in the pack on my back).

There was much merriment

and beautiful art

and music

and a whole little town turned out to bask in the joy of growing food, keeping it local, and being community.

The girl who was a bit worried about “people looking at my costume and clapping”, couldn’t stop shaking her music maker to the beat and smiling the whole way.

It felt like everyone was full of hope and joy that day. Like we were storing up the last of the season’s sun to keep us through winter.

her magical 5th birthday

Dear Iris,
On the day before your 5th birthday something very magical and unexpected happened. We received a call from our friend Harvey, who had just set out from Kendall, Wisconsin, with his friend Richard, to drive his team of mules to New Mexico. Yes, New Mexico- a very, very long way to go in a wagon with a team of mules. Harvey called to say they were doing a light first day with the team, and might they hitch up at our place for the night. Oh my.

So, hitch up they did. You and your sister were absolutely in awe. You couldn’t take your eyes off these cowboys and their beautiful mules and their little wagon with Sadie the dog resting underneath. Just like Laura and Mary.

The whole wagon was beautifully crafted from the ornate trim pieces and blue paint, to the bunks and shelves and small “kitchen” space. I’m pretty sure you thought you could live in there forever.

You delighted us with your focused curiosity and your eagerness to be with these full grown adventurers. You spent quite of bit of time following them around on your own. You wondered and asked questions. At supper you hung on each word as they told stories of other adventures (this is Harvey’s 3rd trip cross-county with horses). On the morning of your birthday, you woke eager to share pancakes with them and help feed and water the mules.

And then all too soon, they were on the road again. What an amazing start to a very fabulous birthday. Thank you Harvey and Richard for sharing your adventure with us (this was a homeschoolers dream come true, not to mention a really killer birthday surprise). Happy trails.

After they left you were eager to do your own horse-girl stuff. So we brought ol’ burred up Bandit out for a stroll around the yard and once inside you wrangled up every horse in the house.

Later that day Grampy arrived bearing gifts- tin can stilts and a whiffle-ball set. Perfect.

That evening we lit the 5th candle on the birthday ring made by mama and papa and we all celebrated the amazing young girl that is you!

Later in the weekend your Nina and Poppy came and we all gathered round the monkey cake Nonna had made for you.

A pretty amazing 5th birthday for a very amazing girl. You inspire us with your eagerness to learn, your wide-eyed fascination with this beautiful world and your big love. Happy, happy birthday big girl.

in with the old

An auction today yielded us a couple of new tools (for papa) a bag of raw wool (for mama) and an old electric typewriter for Iris. It’s actually probably not that old, but certainly wasn’t anything she’d seen before!

Hours of fun I tell you! And seemingly a good tool for this homeschooling venture we’ll find ourselves on soon. She can finger-pick out the letters to about anything she wants to spell (as long as you spell it for her, of course!). I’m certain she’ll be pecking out lists, and secret notes, and orders for Elsa in no time!

And of course, as soon as big sister’s back in turned…little chubby fingers move right in. Worth every one of the 100 pennies I spent on it!

We are off for a week of adventure and discovery. Back with photos next week. Have a wonderful one!