Monday - Cleaning Day

Wow! This weekend was crazy. I worked on both Saturday and Sunday, so I was out of the house a little more than usual. But, what I really notice is that the kids behavior was kind of crazy since our rhythm was so disrupted. Plus, it was so exciting helping Daddy chose a new light fixture from the hardware store and then finally install it. Personally, I'm glad it's Monday again and we can settle back into our regular rhythm.

This morning we did our regular walk/form walk/circle. I am hoping to actually draw a form this Friday. Last week I just made up a form as a place holder in our morning walk. This week we walked a real form. Brother tried to lead the form walk and went off on his own way, but eventually I managed to get him to follow behind me.

For circle I added the poem "Dwarves" from our Enki movement guide. Brother loves the more forceful movements.

So now we have this structure:

Walk
Form Walk
Circle - Winter White
Dwarves
Closing song and spiral

Play outside time

I've decided that Mondays are stressful enough right now without piling on a bunch of homeschooling activities, so I add to - or change circle and change the form walk and then call it good for the day. The rest of the day is for cleaning, social activities and possibly baking. Today we cleaned and then after quiet time met friends at Karkeek park for a walk along the stream. Because of all of the rain we have been having, the stream was really moving fast. It was very interesting to the kids and unfortunately, one little girl leaned over too far and fell in. It was a good three feet fall which resulted in a swelling shoulder and a cut face that wouldn't stop bleeding. It was pretty scary. The little girl went to the ER, where she was glued back together again and is going to be fine! Phew! I brought her little brother home with me so he didn't have to go to the ER as well. Then I didn't have enough room for car-seats, so Brother was taken home with our other friend. It sounds like Brother had a lot of fun at our friend's house! And Baby enjoyed playing with his little friend as well.

Friday

Today we went outside for our regular walk/form walk/circle and out door playtime. There has been a lot of digging in the digging spot lately! After snack I read the weekly selection to Baby and then read the Enki Nature Story "Busy Bears" to Brother. We were a little disrupted when Daddy came in for lunch. I think I am going to read this one again next week.

We baked muffins today. The kids are getting really good at it! They are taking turns between wet and dry ingredients much more patiently now. Baby really loved stirring and Brother is measuring much more accurately.

After rest time, we went to a games day in a local park. We hadn't been in a long time, and only one other family showed up. Hopefully it was just an off week. For some reason, Baby is really sensitive to Winter Weather. He stays really close to me and tends to whine a lot. My goal is to stay comfortably for one hour. Baby was pretty comfortable for almost an hour. Since the other family had left, I called it good and we went home too. It would have been pretty strange to make him stay for another five minutes when he really wanted to leave! He is dressed appropriately, so I am hoping he will outgrow this sensitivity.

When we got home, I gave the kids quiet time. While Baby napped, Brother and I painted.



This is a wet on wet using red and blue. To set the mood I sang "Winter White" while I began painting. He said this is "King Winter.



This is his second painting. There is a little bit of unpainted paper on it. When I suggested that he paint his whole page, he informed me that this was his painting, he had already covered the whole page on the first one and that this one was his free painting page. It is so fun to see him excercise his personal power.

Thursday

Since this is the first week of this new Older Kindergarten/Light First Grade blend, I am really feeling my way. We had our morning walk/form walk/circle -outside play like usual, then after snack I read the weekly selection to Baby while Brother listened in. I really didn't feel prepared to read a whole new Fairy Tale and do another lead drawing. I think once a week is currently fine for that activity. So I read the poem "Old Man Winter" from Enki Nature Tales. I know people usually read it on the solstice, but with all of the illnesses this year, our Winter started late. And the weather here is so mild, it already feels like Spring from time to time. Brother loved the poem! He's heard it before, but this time it really struck a cord within him. I kept finding him burrowing under blankets and pretending to be covered by King Winter with a blanket of snow. It was really cute!

For our craft we cut out paper snowflakes while Baby took another unwanted nap. ;) Brother really became absorbed with the process of cutting the snowflakes and seeing what the results were when he opened the paper. I figured he would cut out a couple, but he kept asking for more and more!

Wednesday

Today we started off with our walk/form walk/circle. After snack, I read Baby's Pre-K booklist to him while Brother listened. Then I took Brother into the other room where I proceeded to do laundry. Brother and I recalled "Masha and The Bear" together. We took turns recalling parts of the story. I see this as another First Grade Readiness test. I feel like when he recalls the whole story himself, then he will be more ready for first grade. To be fair, this was the first time he has recalled a story. I tried it with him last summer to no avail. So, we shall she how this progresses over the next few months.

After recalling the story, we did our first lead drawing. Here is Brother's.



Here is mine.



I'll be learning to draw along with the kids. According to Melissa at A Little Garden Flower curriculum, I just need to be ahead of the kids. That brings me great comfort!

The rest of the day was spent with Oma, Opa, Aunt TiTi, Cousin Daniel and Cousin Lexi. We had a lot of fun playing with cousins!

Tuesday

Today we started off with our walk, form walk and circle. Brother is trying to be the leader and decided to add some Sally Goes Round The Sun. When his leadership turn was over, we continued on as planned.

For Baby's stories this week we read the January page from "Around the Year" by Elsa Beskow, "Winter" by Gerda Muller, "In the Land of Faries" by Daniela Drescher,"The Tomten" and "The Tomten and the Fox" by Astrid Lindgren, and "Gingerbread Baby" by Jan Brett. Brother always sits and listens. Then Brother and I went off for me to read for him "Masha and The Bear." This story is listed as a younger Kindergartener story in my Enki books. It seems as though Brother is still hearing the stories with his "literal ears" so I am still on the fence about offering first grade activities. Last year when I read this story for him the first time, Brother was very upset. This year he found it humorous when the bear was afraid of Masha. It's interesting the difference a year makes.



This afternoon Brother and I made pinecone bird feeders while Baby took a nap he insisted he didn't need. ;)





Here is the bird feeder in it's place.

Monday

We're back in the swing of things now that the holiday season is over!

We started off with our morning circle. Currently it is a .5 mile walk. We walk up the driveway doing our "form walk", followed by songs in the front yard. I am starting off with only one song this week - Winter White, from my Enki Kindergarten Movement book. We close with a spiral walk.

After this I spent the morning cleaning and then we had friends over to play. It was nice for the kids to play and great for us Moms to have some time together.

Oh My!

Oh My How the fall has blown away. Between hosting our first Thanksgiving, being sick and sick and sick, and pulling together Christmas I haven't been blogging.

What I have found is we are ready for a modified first grade. I am planning on first grade for a year and a half. Brother turns 6.5 on Feb 2nd, so January will be story, recall and led drawings. The second half of the month will include our beginning form drawings. Brother is so happy playing, but we need just a bit more structure, so it will still be very loose.

Meanwhile, I am still planning and meditating on our beginning story. And working on our crayon holders. I almost have them completed! It has been a pretty time consuming project.