Finding Rhythm

Homeschooling rhythm.

This is SUCH an important part of a Waldorf-style home school, and one that, in theory, my organized self delights in.

However, it's been slow in coming to us on this first auditioning year of school. We're six weeks into our year and I'm learning the difference between my ideal and reality.

I have a "plan" which I won't bore you with at this point (unless you really want to know?), but suffice it so say that it involves a 6:15 wake-up time for Mama, and all the good parts of Waldorf Homeschool, including Circle time, painting time, outdoor time, quiet time, and lots of reading and normal daily chores.

However, major road blocks to this smooth path of rhythm include:

- Sickness. We are all currently suffering from various stages of a brutal cold, making it hard to stick to routine when all we want to do is blow our noses and nap.
- Daddy's conference. Between Thanksgiving and our trip to Edmonton to be with Daddy, last week was a complete write-off in terms of homeschool routine proper
- Too many activities. Between Small Girl's various programs and my various endeavours, there have been several weeks that I look back on and wonder if we are simply too busy to do school.
- My work. When I'm working my maximum number of hours in a week, it's a challenge to keep everything organized so there's hot meals on the table when I leave and have all the chores completed AND do schoolwork.
- Weather. We have had the most beautiful amazing fall, and these sunny calm days call my name to be outside, rather than keeping house or maintaining any semblance of rhythm.
- Sibling playtime. Small Girl and Little Brother are experiencing challenging times in terms of sibling playing. There are small windows of time when they play cooperatively and it is a lovely thing. But most of the time the power dynamic goes one way or the other and fighting, screaming and hitting results. When things are good, I hate to end them to start another activity. When things are bad, it's hard to sort things out and carry on with our intended plan.

I know all the standard answers for these dilemmas. Be flexible. Work with the season. Don't be too busy. But implementing them during the day-to-day, when I don't have the benefit of hindsight, this is the challenge.

Inchmahome Priory at a Child's Pace

A major trip to a foreign place looks totally different when you're traveling with small kids. 

The pace is much slower.

There are more snacks involved.

You set lower goals (figuratively and literally).

However, given the chance, you get an opportunity to view a place at a more microcosmic level, because that's where kids operate. 

These are things we are learning.

Inchmahome Priory was the perfect place to explore with Small Ones.
It comes complete with a ride on a tiny ferry.
With ruins to explore, climb on, and build stories about.
With unobtrusive interpretive signs.
And plenty of photographic opportunities.

From macro:

 To micro:

And everything in between.

Rambling as Four: Blogging Afresh

Oh hello.

I haven't blogged since before Small Boy was born, and now he's almost two.

So now we are Ambling Ramblers x4. With big plans, bigger dreams and a bushelful of energy.

Which we are at present expending in the gloriously green country of Scotland.

So I will take this opportunity to try to express thoughts and photographs via our blog once again. Stay tuned for thoughts on homeschooling with a Waldorf bent, parenting, traveling, being outdoors and being a thirty-something woman wanting to live intentionally.

So without further ado, I give you Small Girl, frolicking up a hill with her Mama whilst the younger one naps. Parenting one at a time is so much calmer, and I love the quiet talks we have while we walk together.

Parading

I convinced him to take the day off so we could go to the parade. It was worth it.

Peony season

A gifted bouquet of peonies has made a lovely addition to our table the last couple of days,

even with the accompanying ants.

rooflines

Sunshine, picnics, sand and family. 

A weekend well spent.

June

 It has been a lovely gentle June,

with sun and rain,

routine and spontaneity,

and family.

Covered Porch

We had the perfect theatre seats.

Corb Lund

It was a cranky tired day, and we were both thankful for the distraction of Corb Lund. Why don't we own this album??

Spring anew

There's nothing like a fresh season to rejuvenate and inspire.

Cast on

I finished one Christmas project and started another. 

A day of highs and lows, ending with my favourite dessert and YO and K2tog.

Winter light

Music, knitting and sunshine: all the good things in life.

Another snowy day

She was so proud that her hair was finally long enough for a pony tail. 

I is for Interesting

Instead of Mama going to a conference and little E going with Daddy,

we played with letters, made snow angels and visited with friends. 

Not quite how the day had been planned, but not bad either.

Swing state

Regardless of what is going on in the day

--and regardless of the state of the weather--

she's always ready to swing.

A break in the clouds

Trying to get back into the habit of blogging. 

Life is full...as always, with much learning and many life lessons. 

And much joy, like an afternoon walk in the sunshine, after days of cloud.

Rockelbel's Canon - ThePianoGuys

We first saw Jon Schmidt a couple of years ago when he did a concert in Calgary (see post here). He and his cello co-conspirator have become a major YouTube sensation, and justifiably so.

Weary

The plowed furrows in the field across the street have a lovely pattern in the evening light,

and the evening is so lovely and peaceful...relief.

Raindrops on poppies

It was a lovely break of a rainy day: 

she napped and cuddled, we made muffins, and then Daddy came home for waffles and wine.

Time to Be in Earnest

Time To Be In Earnest: A Fragment Of Autobiography by P.D. James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I expected not to like Time to Be In Earnest simply on the principle of it being an autobiography and therefore being navel-gazing. Consequently, I was happily surprised to really enjoy it.

I liked the format of the book--part daily diary, part lifelong history. I thought James combined the two well, going from a discussion of a minute detail of her life to the broader topic of, for instance, the purpose of the BBC, fairly effortlessly.

James referenced a number of events and people of whom I had no notion, so at times it was handy to have the internet close by to look things up, and that was a bit arduous.

It is clear that James loves her country--the cities, the churches, the country landscape, the ocean, the language. This love comes through her writing clearly, and with me reading, she was preaching to the choir.


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