August is slipping throughout our fingers, a mix of warm, sunny days, outdoor picnics and flip flops, grey drizzly days and a few thunder storms through which we’ve battled in our tents! Here’s a medley of our summer season thus far. I trust that whatever your circumstances you are finding some moments to rest and be refreshed.
Molly x
Nature notes and homestead jottings
August and September are always busy months for picking and preserving. Some crops I seem to do consistently badly with (carrots and other root veg) but some (the easier ones) appear regularly in glorious gluts. I try to learn a few new homesteading skills each year; last year these included bottling (canning in America). This is how all countrywomen used to preserve their soft fruit and veg. I also invested in a dehydrator and have preserved both cultivated and foraged harvests this way, including wild garlic, elderflowers, hawthorn leaves, nettles and fruit.
Home education journal
I find much wisdom in the ancient writings of Ecclesiastes “There is a time for everything and season for every activity under the sun” Ecclesiastes 3:1. Some families continue their rhythms of home education throughout the year, and for children who need consistent routines I can see how this could work best. We’ve always stopped our structured learning during the school holidays, giving time to play, to rest, to go on adventures. I too find I need time to pause, to recalibrate, to invest in my own reading and learning … and to catch up on the multitude of home chores which have built up over the months.
However, I’ve found that with the combination of children we have at present, some structure is still required, and that starting up again after a complete break is really hard. Also, with dyslexic children, short term memory is such a problem that phonics are forgotten very quickly if not continually practiced.
I try something different each summer as ages and needs change; this year we have two read alouds on the go and an audible story. Sparkly Eyes also has her Nessy dyslexia programme she can continue with independently. We don’t read aloud every day, but tick along slowly. We’ve had some lovely summer read alouds over the years, especially fun and memorable when tied in with visits or holidays.
Musings for our time
Our last home ed co op day was at the end of July. This seems quite poignant as it’s been a new venture with all the stretching that brings. However, it has felt very much that God is at the helm and as we’ve learnt and grown together (parents as well as children) I’ve been surprised how significant these friendships have become to us; a real blessing.
It was also the end of a season for one of our teens, who attended her last co op session before she moves on to full time college next year. This felt quite poignant as her friendship with the girls has been a special part of our home ed lives over the past few years. She is a shining advert to the benefits of home education and in particular to self directed learning. As we live in such a small town, it was a most unexpected blessing to find another girl, with many similar interests, within the same town. For several years we did artist study together; she is very creative and talented. Dancing Toes has gone on outings with her family and we’ve taken her to co op each week. This has meant she’s seen us at one of our worst times, as we try to get out of the house! She’s also had to endure my “lectures” on what went went wrong on a particular morning and how we could do it better next time. (Progress is slow!). The above flowers were a gift from her; planted from seed, she has produced a flourishing crop to cut and sell at markets. She has grown into a talented, free thinking and self assured young woman and although we will miss her on Co op days, I’m so thankful she’s been a part of our home ed journey and am looking forward to watching the unfolding of her next chapter.
Mothering through the seasons 