A Gentle Prayer is what I'll say...

A gentle prayer is what I'll say

To close this peaceful. gentle day.

With gratitude that I have heard
The pre-dawn chirpings of a bird.

With thankfulness that I have seen

The many hues of summer green.

With singing heart that I could feel
The soft warm grasses when I kneel.

With love for those who give me care
I softly close my gentle prayer.

Random, Beautiful...scraps for sharing

Tilly's felt star ornament made with favourite bits and pieces from her very own scrap box has found it's own place amoung our treasure box of very favourtite things. I love the happy colours.

We've had fun reading our very own story in our very own bedtime storybook today!

And enjoying the Happy Ever Afters too...

We've been making happy little sandwich people for lunch!

And in the afternoon Emmy and Bujana worked on the background set for our play.

Then Seraphina "helped" me make dinner.
I really need to hook up a couple of those clotheslines for pasta that the Italians have hanging over their window sills.

Pasta recipe:

2 cups of organic refined wheat flour
2 large whole eggs

Place flour on a worktop, make a "pond" in the middle in which to put the eggs.
Beat the eggs with a fork and gently mix in flour from the side.
Once emulsified start kneading the dough on a floury surface using the palm of your hand.

If the dough becomes crumbly add a little water.

Roll out intot the pasta shape required and dry before cooking.

violet ice cubes

I found inspiration from the lovely Gardenmama and a few wild violets growing happily at the end of our garden to make our own violet fairy ice.

Of course then we had to make some lemonade to drop our little purple jeweled ice cubes into.
A fitting drink.

Next time we might try to make  lemon cups

My Butterfly Girl

Here is a wonderful little video of one families unschooling year I found a couple of days ago.

from Child's Play

And here is a wonderfully comprehensive article on unschooling that says everything I'd love to say about it much better than I ever could :)

All our life is a celebration for us

"All our life is a celebration for us; we are convinced, in fact, that God is always everywhere. We sing while we work, we sing hymns while we sail, we pray while we carry out all life's other occupations. "

Clement of Alexandria (c.150-c.215) Theologian

It started with the small things, like buds bursting. I began to notice. More and more. The light and shade of life. All beautiful in it's own way. Each thing unique and purposeful, somehow.

Life. This messy, beautiful, chaotic, painful, ordered, blessed, life.

I inhale redeeming praise.

"Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living

being."

Genesis 2:7

*

"Let everything that has breath praise the LORD."

*

I'm breathing thankfullness today

in...

The way a few brief notes of music, can bring tears to my eyes without warning,

The lush pink petals of camelia flowers ( fairy frocks as Boo calls them) just beginning to bloom in the garden,

Quiet times of reflection, drawing close to God in the stillness,

*

For...

The grace of every day blessings,

Gifts of joy through children's innocent eyes,

Laying close to the earth of my heart, the green grass of my tender growing hopes,

*

with...

Being "undone" and yet knowing it's not something to be " fixed" just surrendered to in faith.

The honesty of my child's laughter and tears,

The growing depth of love and understanding between me and my soul mate.

*

Through...

Flying kites in both the blue and the stormy skies.

Reaching across distances,

With kindness, words, and gestures.

Letting myself become vulnerable and true and open to small everyday graces.

Join thankful hearts taking time to reflect on blessings today at "Multitude Mondays"

Saturday Sewing

So here's something new to inspire my Saturdays! Saturday Sewing, will hopefully be full of ideas, project sharing, givaways, pictures and maybe even a tutorial or two (if I'm feeling brave :) :)
Anyone who loves crafting please feel free to share a link to your own "Saturday Sewing" (knitting, crocheting, painting.... projects in the comments section.


Today I have been having fun knitting a few rows of Boo's Bolero in this lovely fresh green yarn.!

Boo loves to put holes into the knees of her jeans so as summer is just around the corner I chopped and sewed a pair of her "holy" denim jeans into shorts. Then I made this little flower out of some scraps I had lying around and appliqued it straight onto the shorts.



Here's another little something I've been working on... The FIRST piece of clothing I have EVER made myself!

Well, with all these little girlie's running about makin' holes in their jeans and tights and socks and.... the rest! And making sure they look just too cute in little handmade tops and dresses, I've barely had a chance to think of sewing anything for myself
However, this lovely tutorial over at Made by Rae featured a little while back on Sew Mama Sew was enough to finally inspire me!
I am so thrilled with how it turned out! All the fabric was second hand so what with a gorgeous free pattern to boot it literally cost pennies to make....Always a bonus :)

But what, oh what do the littlest girls do while their Mummy's so busy...
Play with their own little collection of buttons, beads, scraps and sparklies of course:)

So what Sunshine inspired projects have you got on the go?

Make paper beads

We had lot's of fun making these bright, colourful paper beads yesterday!

We found this lovely little craft in a wonderful book entitled "Jazzy Jewellery Eco Crafts"
We have grown to totally love this set of books! The crafts encourage children to recycle materials they already have in the house, which makes the crafts frugal friendly as well as "eco" friendly! It also means you will probably already have most of the materials available in your home without having to make a pit stop to the craft shop first.


To make the beads you will need: Some old magazines or posters, some PVA glue and a brush, a pencil, a ruler, some scissors and a knitting needle.

Each triangle should ideally be measured 16 cm long and 2 cm wide before being cut out.
Boo was learning maths at this point without even realising it!

Then simply glue 3/4 of the way from the tip of the triangle, leaving 1/4 unglued so that it doesn't stick to the knitting needle!



Carefully wind the triangle from it's base around the knitting needle.



String on some cord or string or yarn and wear with a smile in the spring sunshine :)
A very "Springy" craft I think!

Interview with a homeschool graduate!

Peter's Spring Break Interview or An Unschooled Graduate Looks Back on Life....

"Was my education balanced? Of course not! I know a lot about philosophy, psychology, the conceptual (as opposed to mathematical) parts of science, Christianity (especially post-Reformation), theatre, filmmaking, and several other things. I know almost nothing about woodworking, sign language, music composition, Shintoism, higher mathematics, horseback riding, or any number of other things. This is simply a part of being a finite human being, one incapable of knowing everything.

The difference is that the list was generated by my own interests, rather than the graduation requirements of my school. Which means that all of those things are relevant in some way to my life! Instead of learning about things I would promptly forget after I graduated, I've spent time learning about things that I care about and plan on pursuing further later in life."

For more of this interesting interview from the perspective of a homeschool graduate visit
yarns of the heart

Unschooling Days... Learning how to trust the process

i


Deep in my heart I know that this is learning of the best kind.

Soul learning...

Learning of the earth and it's wisdom.

From such roots little plants can flourish.

Their is a seed buried deep inside our hearts.

All we need is a little light, a little water and some good earth.

A seed can't grown on a table, or a chair.

It needs open spaces.

Freedom for both root and branch to stretch.

A seed such as an acorn has within it the potential of an Oak Tree.

We are all born with our purpose within us.

Teaching a child to listen to their inner voice, their spirit and their truth helps them to nurture he potential they hold within them.

It also helps them to know what steps to take to unlock the unique gifts that will course their own path through life.

Learning through play the children test their own bodies and stretch their senses to the outer corners of their natural environment.

So far over the last couple of weeks... we have been busy, sewing seeds, weeding and watering...

Rehearsing a play from this site called the Apple Dumpling a traditional English folk tale,

We have made masks, costumes and painted a white sheet as a background for the play.

We have been having fun writing and entering poetry competitions here...

Littles watched horse trials and pretended to be horses for days afterward!

We have rolled down hills, made daisy chains, climbed trees, got lost in the woods, tracked deer and rabbits, sourced wild food, and learned to identify lots of wild plants and trees in the process.

Emmy has taught herself the penny whistle and Boo has started to learn the recorder...

The older girls have had fun sewing gifts for their littlest sister's birthday...

Cakes have been baked and eaten and all in all...

We've not felt stressed or too busy, just full.

Unschooling is  is a leap, or at least it feels a little like a leap into the unknown but I feel this compelling to follow my soul.

I want to lay down all the preconceived notions about what success looks like and what paths we are "meant" to take and instead choose to follow the one that most closely calls my soul and the souls of my children.

The parameters within which we define "success" are too narrow.

So long as my children have the freedom to be true to themselves, have opportunity to develop skills they are interested in, are a part of their community, are healthy and happy, I think they are successful.

As I write this Emmy has come in the house with a dead bee, which she wants to study and analyze different parts of under the microscope!

No you can't stop a child from learning unless you push that learning.

I'm coming to realize that more and more.

Enjoying Spring

Matilda among the wild primrose and Polyanthus.

The daffodil meadow.