Spring Bounty

Our cherry tree produced its first bowlful of cherries - since we have never grown our own cherries before this was exciting ... now just hoping the ripen up. And since fresh cherries are normally too expensive to buy we're looking forward to enjoying these.

Definitely feels like a Kiwi Christmas

The end of a long day

Last week, at the end of a very long day of tired kids, slow schoolwork, and wondering if I had the energy to see out the term. I curled up with my youngest and noticed the twilight.

Sometimes God uses something so simple to reset our priorities.

November gifts from the garden

My favorite thing about November has to be that my rose garden starts to bloom, and forth next few months I can enjoy fresh roses in a huge variety of shades on my table.

A Patchwork of Days - Daybook

Outside my window...

The sky is clearing after one of the few spring showers that we have had this season. I've been watering the garden for some weeks, its nice to have rain. Its also nice to look out while it clears.


I am listening to...

The sound of kids talking as they clear last nights dishes. Its a nice happy sound for all of us. Sometimes parenting is easy.

I am thankful for...

Lots of little things - this week has made me aware of the effects of being grateful...

• for eggplants on sale and moussaka for Sat night dinner, 
• rose syrup that makes great rose flavoring for Mediterranean desserts,
• hubby moving my desk back over to the window so I have better light for reading, 
• the gift of a  second hand laptop for the kids...
• extra space because we moved out the old school computer. 

 It is good to look at the world through gratitude.
 
From the learning rooms...

Busy! My daughter has had the hard word that she needs to finish her work for the term by Christmas. She's been working at half pace all year, and objecting to speeding up. Since I don't handle conflict well I've tried to jolly her along, and focus on what is good. Now we've had to address this head on. It will be a busy few weeks.

From the kitchen...

On Thursday I put together the first batch of Rose-petal Jelly...I was a bit timid and its a good Rose Syrup...great for baklava and other Middle Eastern deserts so I'm looking forward to enjoying them but it looks like after we do the monthly shopping I will be making another batch or two.

I am reading...

I'm hoping to get time in our omnibus schedule and read the next installment of Norse Myths for my youngest son's studies. I've enjoyed seeing the background of the other major influence in English literature - especially Tolkien even if sometimes these stories seem very depressing and wild.

A few plans for the rest of the week:

A much quieter week ahead - almost normal before ballet practices and year end activities start to effect us. This is good. I like quiet.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Art - Artistic Pursuits

Art has always been a welcome relief here. Nature Journals and drawing made school a lot better for my girl and for me. I've enjoyed learning to draw - art in school was fun and that's about all.  When we started homeschooling I had to get my head around art being not just fun but also having things to learn. Scary.

We started out with how to teach art to young people by Evan Moore. Lots of fun projects looking at each of the elements of art. That was fun while it lasted although for many of those sessions there was more theory than fun.

About that time we also added in Drawing iwth Children. I learn heaps. We even had some fun, But for 5 and 7 yr old's it was just too complicated. We really didn't have the fine motor skills to do anything like this.

Then someone suggested Artistic Pursuits. We worked through the books sometimes slowly, sometimes seriously. Generally steadily. I've enjoyed the mix of art appreciation. ( It makes up for my Charlotte Mason failings) serious technique and fun.

Stopping ans starting isn't so good. We've worked through all of the K-34 materials they are fun, and can be enjoyed at a much higher level than the suggested K-3 we've all learnt from these.

The composition and drawing books are great. There is enough of a balance to develop even my youngest who decided early on that he wasn't any good at art becasue he couldn't draw like his siblings. I'm hping so we make it inot the colour books... but this is what we have acheived.

Drawing Animals - the Naturalist age 10

An artist in the family

When we went up for our ballet exam the teacher pointed out a picture of ballet shoes on a music background that she had thought about buying for the studio. Looking at its simple construction I figured that Beth would be able to put that together... mostly it was simple, the main drawing part was a pair of ballet shoes and on the original there were simple line drawings on fabric.

My artist was a little less confident. The canvas was big and well it was for someone else. It had to be good. We did a trial run and made the project even more complicated. It it needed to be a painting not a sketch. She's good at sketching, adding paint is another matter.

Two weeks ago she finished it, and on Thursday she handed it over...

The Iris border

Nearly 5 years ago we moved into what we thought was a temporary rental while we looked for a new home in town.

The house had been owned by a retired couple who filled their days creating a show level garden. They had planted nearly every inch in flowers creating a beautiful enclosed cottage garden.

Times changed and they were unable to maintain the section. It was sold ...first to a member of our church who let us among others use if for a transition between homes. Then by God's grace we became the caretakers of the garden. Lots has changed to give the children some grass adn to allow me to grwo some veges... but much of the garden is still as it was planted. In late spring it comes into its own as a wonderland of color.

A Patchwork of Days - Daybook

Outside my window...
A blaze of purple, pale blue, cream, burgundy and green the Iris are in full flower. Behind them roses are opening. Definitely time to sit outside and enjoy the view

I am listening to...
Our last book order from Amazon for next year arrives - and with it my Christmas CD for this year - Chris Tomlin's Glory in the Highest. Its a little bit early but we couldn't resist playing it for the first time.

I am thankful for...
At the dress rehearsal yesterday I was once again grateful for the roles that my daughter has had over the years and the current choreography put together by their dance teacher. The studio is doing Tinkerbell.. and the junior grades are a mix of small creatures and fairies... the older Jazz grades are toned down this year - but the adult themes in the music isn't quite what I would want to hear every week. for my girl...they have been given the Call from Prince Caspian, and Maze of Grace. Both fun, refreshing and our girls get to be young ladies. Yes I'm grateful.

From the learning rooms...
Celebrations - my middle child who has the reputation for not enjoying languages is consistently getting 90% in his weekly tests. The move to Henle this year, and a gain in confidence have made a huge difference.

From the kitchen...
More thoughts in how I structure our purchases, and keeping order in the kitchen. I spent part of yesterday morning working through a list of the the preserves that I will make this season - fruit crops allowing and what I want to pick up in terms of meat when the price drops in Autumn. I think I have a plan.

I am reading...
The pile by my desk is growing, but this has been a week to relax and enjoy CS Lewis, Narnia style. 

A few plans for the rest of the week:
I would like to say that the peaceful routine of life returns but it looks like another fun and busy week. We have a Water Safety Day at our local pools, which if it is like  the one they had last year will be a lot of fun. I also have a Friend coming over for coffee.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Fresh Eggs and Spring Gardens

In late summer I finally managed to find the cash to buy a portable chicken coop and bring some hens back into our lives. the kids had enjoyed having the girls around when we had lived semi-rurally for a couple of years. They wanted the girls back. Its been an adventure.

Keeping chickens in a town section is different no large run. but these girls are friendlier than our other hens ever were - young pullets that follow the kids when they go down to feed them. Hens that dig through my rose garden and the vege patch. Hens that get banished in spring because the lawn has to grow, or the new beans are coming up. Fortunately we can start letting them out again when we are gardening.

In the mean time these girls are giving me enough eggs for one or two egg meals a week, sometimes even breakfast. Its been good to enjoy fresh home grown produce again.

The History Delima

As I said I love Veritas's history and the Christian emphasis that is incorporated into the work. I like having a solid base if Christian thinking in the middle ages and the reformation. When it hits the Explorers and American History we become unstuck. It's here that the resources get expensive and well as a Kiwi it doesn't really fit our needs. But it does provide a good launching pad into Omnibus.

Hence the Delima.

For my oldest we simply jumped around so much that we never got to this period of time. Ok we came unstuck here and I wasn't sure what was happening. But now my middle child is struggling with not having a spine to read from, and I'm struggling with being pulled away from the narrate and then have some fun pattern that we all are familiar with.

Hopefully this will make history both more meaningful and increase his confidence in what he is doing. It does mean that we will hit Omnibus a little later - 2nd or third term of next year. But it seems worth it and in truth I can se that we really aren't all that ready for Omnibus year 1 yet.

For now its back to the Story of the World with  Veritas added in for projects when we get to it.