summer begins

Yesterday marked the last day of 'formal academics' for my children and the beginning of a very sunny, wet and tasty 'summer vacation'.

We had the pleasure of being hosted by some new friends as guests for lunch and had a chance to experience the pleasure of watching some new ducklings settle into their new home. They are just as fluffy and yellow as I have imagined them to be!

The children picked some fresh sorrel from to garden to add to our potato and bacon soup. The lemony sorrel went so perfectly with the smoky bacon and comforting potatoes... certainly left us all feeling satisfied. With freshly baked sourdough bread and some slices cheese on the side it made an amazingly delicious meal.

We were able to take home some books to borrow as well. Summer reading is such an exciting prospect to me. I'm not sure that my children feel as enthusiastically about it as I do, but nevertheless there is some amazing, rich, inspiring reading material to keep us occupied over the next few weeks.

Today, Luca and I went to the farmers market and left with some delicious and nourishing items. One item did not quite make it out of the market... Luca devoured the ham, cheese and sundried tomato pastry on the spot!


We then headed spontaneously to a local strawberry field and picked our first quart of strawberries this summer. I gave the 'baby' berried to Luca to eat and kept the best berries to take home. We both left satisfied.

Summer indeed is upon us!

beauty captured

Just a few more photos... I couldn't resist sharing all of this beauty!

unpacked

I am home now, unpacked and settled. Slipped quietly back in to my beautiful mundane life filled with comforting rhythms of home life, mothering and life on the East Coast.

Our trip to Northern California was beyond magical... it was breathtaking at times, filled with untouched natural beauty and the stark realization that life out there is indeed so very different than it is here in my small New England town.

I don't think I have reached that level of relaxation in nearly a decade. The feeling of 'letting down' was overwhelming at times. I could feel myself gripping desperately to the normal routines and demands of my usual lifestyle in which the motto 'be ever ready for anything' (or something to that effect) was replaced with the vague, soft instinct nudging me to 'just let go'.

It was hard. But I did it and the experience was rejuvenating.

I asked myself at several points during our stay, "What is the lesson here?" and "How can I take this amazing experience, if even just a small piece of it, and make it part of my daily life back home?".

I am still trying to answer those questions and have a feeling that there will be a long pondering phase before I am ready to resurface with any realization of the reality and implementation of my answers.

My intention is to write a bit about my experience, complete with the normal details of where we spent our time and what we enjoyed most (it would be a crime not to share what I saw, drank, ate and loved) along with some more of the 'internal monologue' that was had while I experiences all of the magnificence and wonder of time spent in a new place.

But for now I will leave you with a few images form our time spent away... I can still smell the cutting, brisk, salty air of the Pacific and the deep, hot, dry sun of the Dry Creek as I write this tonight!

packed

Want to know why I am filled with joy and excitement tonight? It has everything to do with a trip that my husband and I are taking tomorrow to San Francisco, California!

We have been dreaming about this trip for several years but the timing and family circumstances were never right for this sort of getaway.

But the time is here!

I've got a suitcase full of sun dresses, skinny jeans, cotton tanks, ballet flats and lots of leggings. It is indeed an adult vacation.

We will be venturing into Sonoma, San Francisco, the Redwood Forest and driving the Pacific Coast Highway down to Monterey.

I have a flipcam and some adorable new earrings... what else will I need?!

Our children will be home with their loving grandparents and will take comfort in the familiar rhythm of their home environment and each other. I am really feeling at peace about this trip and am so thrilled to be focusing on a time for my husband and I to spend some great time together relaxing and enjoying numerous uninterrupted conversations.

What a blessing it is to take a holiday (has anyone seen 'Ma's Holiday' from the Little House on the Prairie series? I am hoping that my heart will not be as distracted as Ma's when she left her little ones!!)!

summertime

The first day of summer is here. It seems as if we have been thinking and talking about this day for months now. And it is finally here!

Now it is time for berry picking, swimming, beach trips, suntans, freshly squeezed lemonade, lazy mornings, countless bike rides, baseball, grilled dinners, watermelon, fresh vegetables, blooming flowers, and one of my most favorite things on earth (which by the way is not only enjoyed in summertime, but is now only more justified!).

I hope to be writing in this space much more this summer as now my time previously spent focusing on formal academics is now available now for things like blogging, beach-going and drinkings numerous glasses of iced coffee throughout the day whenever I feel like it just because!

First stop- a trip to Philadelphia this weekend. Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Franklin Square, the Betsy Ross House, Elfreth's Alley and Valley Forge. What a perfect start to summer!

results

Our day was sun-filled, sandy, wet, salty, carefree, hot, breezy, musical, tasty, long and lovely.

It was our first beach trip of the summer. It was an impromptu beach trip. One of my favorite types. There was minimal planning and things seemed to come together effortlessly. Being relaxed helps. Not looking at clocks or calendars or the week ahead only adds to the experience. Just living out the day set ahead and letting some things go that maybe are not as important as I thought they were really seals the deal.

And here were our results.

perfection

Luca's first week at home has come and gone. I have to say, it has been a dream.

I keep finding myself hesitant to say how wonderfully it is going, bringing home a fourth child and all, and feel that everyone around me is thinking just wait. Just wait for the gas to start, the sleepy baby perking up and getting fussy, the sleepless nights to come. Just wait.

I guess that is the only negative thinking that is going on around here lately. I don't want to appear naive or overly positive and then have things deteriorate quickly leaving me sorely disappointed and pitied by friends and family.

But I am going against my prideful feelings and shouting to the world... things are just perfect!

We had a chance to resume some normal activities over the weekend and found ourselves (mother and nursling that is) at a baseball game, church and a ballet rehearsal. I am taking it slow and easy but also feeling that tug to be present for my other children as well.

It was a wonderful weekend full of firsts and exciting events... photos for the ballet that Sophia will dance in next weekend as a pixie, the game ball for Nicolas on Sunday and Elias chose to lose his training wheels and is zooming full-speed ahead on two wheels. So much pride as a mother.


We also had a chance to introduce Luca to our amazing homeschool community during our Share Day with our homeschool co-op on Monday. The children shared what they had learned and practiced for all season- a chorus performance, some Keva building and an Artist Trading
Cards display and swap.


Not everyday is so full. I need to now more than ever remember my vision of being at home more than I am out of the home especially during these early days of bringing home a new baby. Today I have cozied in, donned my wool socks and layers of soft stretchy clothing, enjoyed a super chocolaty brownie brought by a friend and am secretly feeling thankful for the chilly, wet day that is keeping us indoors.

handicrafts and carols

We had a chance on Monday to participate in our third and final Winter Craft Days with our homeschool co-op. This week we dipped candles. We took turns walking in a line and rotated dipping our candles. Some of the younger dippers tuckered out before their candles were finished so I ended up dipping two sets while my kids played with their co-op friends for one of the last times this year.

Some of the other handicrafts that we've had a chance to experience were making felted wool soap and braiding rag rugs.I have so enjoyed these crafts and can't wait to try them on my own at home.


After the candles were dipped and we hung them to set, we all gathered around and sang Christmas songs. It was a spectacular and precious hour where the children were given the opportunity to choose their own carols and lead the rest of the group in chorus.

The children felt so proud to be able to stand on stage and sing their songs. There were some sweet moments, like when Sophia and her friends sang Silent Night. There were also several comedic moments such as when Nicolas, Elias and their good friend Michael and his little brother Mark volunteered to lead the group in singing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. There was not a dry eye in the room after laughing so hard that we cried . These boys need to take their show on the road. Seriously.





It was a wonderful time spent using our hearts and hands to prepare for the Christmas season.

ballet day

Monday was Parent's Observation at Sophia's ballet school. Each semester the parents get to sit in on a class and observe their child taking and executing instruction. It's always so interesting to see how my children respond to other teacher's authority when I am so used to living out my mother-teacher role with the children on a daily basis.

This is Sophia's fourth year of taking ballet lessons. Her school is a classical ballet school in the area that also presents The Nutcracker each holiday season for the community to enjoy. This year Sophia was cast as a Toy Soldier in the battle scene. Her brothers are quite proud that their sister gets to fight off the mice and rats with a weapon. Terribly exciting.

The thing that strikes me most about the whole experience is the degree of concentration with which each girl responds to her teacher's instruction. It is truly a result of continual training and consistent attention.


I have to admit to the amount of pride that swells inside of me during each of these times of parent observation. Seeing how she grows each time is really remarkable and knowing that it is her taking the lead and asking for this ballet instruction makes it even more enjoyable.

still time

It's August. And although my mind is starting to head in the direction of preparing for our upcoming year of homeschooling, there is still plenty of sun, sand, wave-catching, digging, merry-go-rounding and ice cream-eating to be had by all.







Hope your August is just as adventurous!

just me and my boys

I'm still softly singing all of the great songs that we had the chance to hear in person at the Elizabeth Mitchell show on Saturday. And still vividly remembering the original sketches, paintings and artwork of Eric Carle and Virginia Lee Burton that we got to see firsthand in the art galleries. And absolutely loving our I Am Your Little Bird t-shirts that we bought this past Saturday at the Eric Carle Museum.

It turned out to be a day with just me and my boys. I honestly think that I can count on one hand the times when it has been just me and my boys. It was really simple and sweet.

The day's events were in honor of Eric Carle's 80th birthday and The Very Hungry Caterpillar book's 40th anniversary. We had a chance to enjoy a little bit of this and a little bit of that and loved every minute of our time spent there.

Some highlights included The Very Hungry Caterpillar parade (complete with food models from the book on sticks- Nicolas really wanted to carry the pickle, but never had the chance to!!), a costume corner to dress-up where the boys had a chance to don some fabulous costumes and transform into Robin Hood and a knight, an opportunity to climb a few trees, a chance to have their faces transformed into animals with a little face paint and (have I mentioned this part yet?) a chance to hear Elizabeth Mitchell and her lovely band play and meet with her afterward for a little chat and photo.

The day turned out to be just how I imagined it to be- full of music, art and time spent with my boys. I'm so glad that I brought my camera...

maple sugaring

We had the chance to spend an afternoon spent maple sugaring with some friends and fellow homeschoolers last Friday. If there is one thing that is loved by all in this house, it is maple syrup. I really think that one of my children's love languages is actually maple syrup. The more a parent loves you, the more syrup they will pour on top of your pancakes in the morning. This is just a theory.

Here you see Nicolas being yoked by our guide...

... and later hung with two buckets that would be used for collecting and carrying sap to the sugarhouse.
While the older children enjoyed the sugarhouse, Elias found his way outside to the barn. Needless to say, Elias and I spent much of our afternoon examining sheep. We can now say that Elias has counted sheep... literally.

I loved the use of the antlers used inside the sugarhouse. Perhaps the next time I am in need of a coat rack or pegs for hanging things in my house, I will simply hang some antlers.

This scene was awe-inspiring, as it exactly resembled one of the pages in the book we had just read that morning in preparation for our maple sugaring outing.

Sophia was asked to hang the pail and to place the hats on top of them. Again, just like in the book!

Nicolas was asked to place the spout into the tree so that the sap could drain. He tried to push it in at first, but just couldn't get it to stay. He was thrilled beyond belief when he was given a hammer to pound the spout in. Hammering is a hobby for this child, so this brought him nothing but joy and pride to show off his hammering skills!

My children can now tell all about the three grades of maple syrup and everything you ever watned to know about sugar maple trees, sap and sugarhouses.

Indeed an afternoon to remember.