17 January 2011
unschool monday :: back to (un)school
Slowly but surely, we have got back to some sort of rhythm here. Tiny owlet is fitting herself into our days and we are fitting into hers. Huz has been back at work for a couple of weeks. The owlets have started looking at things with renewed energy. Perhaps more importantly, so have I. It's like a light has been switched on. All the blur and fog of the last year feels behind us now. Just looking through photos of what we've done, I can see that what we did before pregnancy was more vibrant, considered, fun. I'm looking forward to introducing a bit more of that to our days. Although we are unschoolers, I do put some thought into what I introduce the owlets to and make more of a concerted effort to strew interesting things in their path than I expect to when they are older and more independent. Big owlet is the major guide to how our days run, but there's a bit of teamwork and guidance on my part still. She will often start the day saying "I want to do craft all day!" Really complex craft usually. A simple idea will spiral into something we need a design team and about a year to complete... I tend to reel her into a simpler approach... just for now, until we learn how to do the harder stuff ;) Face paints and craft kits are helping on days when my hands are too full of other things... or people.
So big owlet has taken an interest in growing. How people grow, how animals and plants grow. She wants to know why, how big or if not, why not? She thought a good place to start would be a farm. Things grow on farms. So beginning today, right now, she's drawing a large mural of a farm. We might visit a farm. We'll certainly read about them, talk about what food comes from which sort of farm, go to the farmer's market, grow our own things. I have a few little surprises up my sleeve too... Tiny owlet is providing us with lots to talk about when it comes to growing.
We've also been looking at myths, reading before bed each night and that has led to discussion on geography, history, religion, different cultures, what's real and what is imagined... Little owlet has always learned through music, so I'm looking for ways to incorporate that - remembering songs to sing at appropriate times, leaving instruments around, finding things for her to listen to and allowing enough quiet time for her to explore her own voice... and she is. She sings all day. About everything. She can't help but make noise.... Oh and she's working on letters and writing too, trying to figure out how to write her name while big owlet perfects her own writing.
So today we have a bit of that flow back and it feels like we are slowly getting back on track. I'm looking around for some new bits and pieces for inspiration as I do each season - craft and art supplies, craft activities, outings, library books etc. And we're muddling through, one day at a time.
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It's nice to feel a bit of flow return :)
ReplyDeleteWe're heading into a pretty busy year of music classes and art classes and other classes and I've been trying to work out the boundaries of Busy so that we can keep as much of our summer calm as we can! I love the idea of finding a flow—moving back into the world with intention while keeping a sweet, quiet ease. Your day sounds lovely, Lauren!
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