eight months

Someone sweet turned eight months old yesterday. Henry said we should try not to let her cry too much (because it was her eight month birthday day). Well, she's looking pretty happy here.

Miquon Math (which you can't see us doing here) is fun. We have abandoned Five in a Row. It is a neat concept, but isn't suiting the way we learn, which is to go with the flow, but keep practicing reading and writing. Thanks to Becky's suggestion, we're reading The Secret Garden now, and enjoying it. I savor the way Mary talks about growing fat. It's a good thing, borne of fresh air and plenty of sunshine and play. Here are our jack o'lanterns.

waking to beauty

I keep in my head Thich Nhat Hanh's advice that I read in one of his books--probably The Miracle of Mindfulness--that says to put something within your view from your bed so that you can wake in beauty each day. I do have something beautiful within eyesight in my room--a handful of oak leaves with acorns attached. But this is the particular beauty (and filth) I woke to this morning. A french pressful of coffee waiting for me in the sunlight. Let the day begin. The children are still sleeping and I have some editing to do.

hello again

I keep thinking about changing back to my previous blog title, writing about what's going on of late, sharing about some of the reading we've been doing, but other important things like taking care of this baby, reading, washing dishes, nursing, washing diapers, working, playing, nursing, washing diapers, washing dishes, reading, practicing piano, going for walks, going to sleep, working, studying insect life cycles...keep getting in the way.
I do so understand why Henry says he could just eat her up.

my first Michaelmas

The autumn wind blows open the gate, O Michael, you, you we await.
We follow you, show us the way. With joy we greet the autumn day.

Firmly on the earth I stand, Michael's sword within my hand.
When I conquer fear the dragon's chains I tightly bind, Michael's light within my mind.

What a thrilling thing, to be involved in a procession and play planned for children and adults alike by Leeala. We welcomed autumn with song and drama. A dragon (with a cerveza cabeza, says Joel) was fought, then bound. Stick swords were wielded. A festive meal was enjoyed. See the sidebar for a photo of Erin's stunning dragon bread and some other photos taken by Erin. Thanks to Cheryl for the photos in this post.

big things are happening

Last Wednesday evening Henry lost his first tooth!

Anna? Well, she's just as good at being adorable as she ever was.

a little more hidden than I would like...

The wholeness in my life right now is feeling obscured. It is there, I know, but busyness and toil and a fair bit of wheel spinning are causing me to feel alienated from some of my favorite ways of renewing myself (long walks, goofing off outside with Henry, baking and cooking, reading). Our family is too busy and struggling too much to make ends meet. I am not caring for myself or Joel as much as I would like to.

This will change. Right now life is intense, though, and I need an added measure of love, patience, hope and gentleness. And probably a booster of resolve, too. Any other suggestions?

A fond memory of the weekend is the day we spent at the cabin with friends. Henry got gloriously dirty and expended a colossal amount of energy. Joel painted in the bunkhouse. Anna and I had a nap on a hammock in a lovely hollow. We came home smelling of sweet smoke. So good.

Here are our darlings. One is missing a tooth and one is still working at her first.

more Annamania and a potential new blog title

Oh, babies!

Keeping with the hidden wholeness idea of the previous post, I'm trying out a new title for this blog, Hidden Wholeness Homeschool. Don't know yet what I think, as I'm pretty attached to my old name, but I'm also growing in a new direction.