London

If you've been following me over on Instagram you will know that last week the boys and I took ourselves on a little homeschool trip to London. We packed a lot into those few days; highlights for the boys were seeing Tower Bridge open, the Science Museum, seeing the actual Crown Jewels and a Yeoman warden, the dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum and buying wooden broad swords from the gift shop at the British Museum. For me it was seeing how happy my boys were, how appreciative of the trip, how enthused they were, and of course having them all to myself day and night for five days.

It was pretty sweet meeting up with my brother for an evening too, walking over Millennium Bridge at sunset and spending time with him, even if only briefly.

We had the tourist thing down. And it was great.

Both boys want to return, as soon as possible. Indeed, the Midget has announced he wants to live there when he's older. Right next to St. Paul's Cathedral.

And I find myself missing it too. London you were so very good to us. Alhamdulillah.

Homeschool

I've been fussing over the homeschool room again. Someone gifted us a set of drawers, and my sister brought my Grandfather's old Persian rug down, and well, it was time to fuss a little. Sometimes things can get a little stale, right?

One thing I do to freshen up spaces is to leave different things out on view occasionally. Shake it up.

This time, a microscope station with various tools to make their own 'slides' and a sheet to concentrate activity. So far we have a couple insect wings and a dissected flower. Interest comes and goes, but mostly everything looks more interesting down the barrel of a microscope.

And for your own use, here is the very simple Microscope Worksheet I drew up for them both to use. Feel free to use in your own home too (it looks better downloaded into Word than it does on the screen).

Busy

When my two get busy I sometimes have to check on them to see why they are so quiet. I can tip toe in, take a picture and tip toe out, and they're none the wiser.

I love mornings like this.

A Bluebell Nature Walk

As a family, we mark our years in seasons; we acknowledge the season by noticing it fully and living in it as much as we can. Two spring seasons ago this time of year was unbearably hot. Last spring season it was unusually wet. This season is late, but just about right in its sun-to-rain ratio. And we'll remember it not by the date on the calendar, but in how blue the bluebells were (darker than two years ago, not as blue as last year's), and in how many snails and bugs we found.

Another bluebell nature walk. Another chance to catch our breath at the sight of a carpet of blue throughout the woods. Another chance to be the first to spot the white one. Another chance to listen for the cuckoo (not today).

As we hurtle around the sun, dates and times and calendars zipping by we know deep in our bones where we are on this journey by listening to what nature is saying, where the shadows lie, how the air feels. I know my babes are imbibing these small cues, inheriting their human instincts and mixing them with day-to-day experience out there, in the woods, in nature. They already know so much. And it was never from a book. We don't try to imbibe the meal by reading the recipe; we actually eat from it everyday. We taste it first-hand. We learn by doing until we know, deep in our bones.

And today I was so, so grateful for that.