Moments...

30 September 2013

...this week of...

...happiness watching my children swim, a late afternoon trip in our canoe and tea by the lake, getting our garden cleared and autumn plants and seeds sown.

...sadness my youngest telling me she did not enjoy her day as she had no one to play with.

...creating an autumn 'stained glass' picture with tissue paper, more knitted slippers, a magic wand and a wristwarmer.

...reading Juno

...learning about sharks, fish, rays, life cycles and friction.

...thinking about how to bring balance into our weeks, some weeks we do loads others not very much it would be great to find an in between.

...wondering about how to go about washing, carding and spinning a sheep fleece I have been given.

...hoping that the children have a better week with their friends this week.

...looking forward to a pottering day at home with the children.


Gratitudes

29 September 2013


Joining in with Taryn for her heartfelt Sunday tradition.

A time to slow down, to reflect, to be grateful.

This week I have been grateful for...

...warm temperatures, it has been lovely to see the sun.

...a very long but enjoyable day out with the children.

...waking up before the children and savouring the stillness before they wake up.

...my local pool opening at a time which is so convenient for us and it is really quiet.

...our new rhythm to our week working out well.

...the continued produce from my garden, kale, onions, shallots, carrots, potatoes, courgettes, tomatoes, salad leaves, garlic and cucumbers.

...making chutney, ketchup and pickles with the produce from the garden.

...a lovely walk and play in some woods with our home ed group it was a perfect afternoon with friends in the sun.

...being able to spend some time in the garden over the weekend tidying, weeding and planting autumn plants.

...a great end to the week, a late afternoon canoe in the sun followed by a barbecue next to the lake.

Deciphering

28 September 2013

As a mother I spend a large amount of time trying to work out what the words my children use actually mean.  When they started to talk it was about working out what they are actually saying.  As the main caregiver this was usually pretty easy as I spent so much time around them.   But as there speech became  more confident they started to talk about and use words that did not relate to what we were actually doing and it gets more challenging to work out what the words were.  Then you get a stage when they have a limited vocabulary but they use words in a more imaginative way, using the words they do have to comment or discuss something that is new to them.  Most of the time I get it right and when I don't it doesn't really matter.

Last night my youngest said something to me which really threw me, as we talked about what had been the best bit of the day for her she said, 'Nothing, I didn't have anyone to play with'.  We had been out for the afternoon to a home ed group, there was a real mix of ages about ten children in total.  We were walking and playing in some woods.  I had thought she had had a good afternoon but maybe I was wrong,  I am not entirely sure what she actually meant by these words, whether she felt excluded from the play that was going on, whether she didn't know how to join in, whether she felt intimidated, whether she felt overwhelmed by the number of children.  It may also be that she is comparing herself to her brother who, at four years her elder, has made friends and plays happily and confidently with them.  At her age though he was the same, watching from the edges, observing play, sometimes engaging and slowly but surely he made friends with other children.  He did not like big groups at her age especially if he did not know anyone.

My youngest is a sociable child, she loves to be around people.  She will chat happily to complete strangers when I am near.  She will play with other children she meets at parks, soft play wherever.  These are things her brother never did, we left the park if other children came along he needed it to himself.  All her play at the moment however is one on one and I can't help feeling that this is what she is most comfortable with and when there is no opportunity for this, and there wasn't really in the woods yesterday, she feels excluded.  She is still very young and learning about playing and cooperating with others these are really hard skills to learn and I hope that I can provide opportunities for her, as I have for her brother, to build lasting friendships.

Creativity

26 September 2013

I have almost finished reading a book which I bought primarily for inspiration, it has provided it but not in the way I thought it would.  I often read on blogs wonderful crafty type activities that are going on, none of which have ever been tried here.  At first it made me feel inadequate that we were not creative in our house and I was in some way depriving my children.

In the past I have rarely sat with the children and engaged in some activity that could be described as craft.  This is mostly due to the fact that I had hit a wall with my eldest, he hates anything which is tactile such as painting, glue, playdough, clay and the like.  He loves to draw and does so most days but when he was little I struggled with what else to offer and do with him.  My youngest on the other hand loves to do anything which involves paint, glue, glitter, stickers, clay, paper, pens you name it she will give it a try.

I have been pondering our weekly rhythm recently trying to work out what to include, I really wanted to include a specific time for craft, that is not to say that we will only do it at that time in any given week but that I will set up activities on that morning and see what happens.  I have also been pondering what to do in that time as my children had very different needs and wants.  I know that I could borrow books from the library or browse the Internet and find a plethora of activities to offer my youngest but what to offer my eldest and was I failing him if I didn't offer him as much?

So as part of my research I have been reading about activities we could do and hoped that The Artist's Way for Parents would give me some ideas but it is not that kind of book.  What it has given me is a strong sense that there are more ways to cultivate creativity in your children than providing some paper and glue.  That of course is part of it, but it is so much more and that more is already a big part of our lives.  We listen to a wide variety of music both recorded and live, we have a good rhythm to our lives, we spend a large amount of time outside each week, we live in an uncluttered house where everything has its place, we read lots of books together and alone, these are all things that this book suggests that you could put into place to assist with cultivating creativity.  The author suggests that you allow your children to try everything, that you provide the tools to do this and they will find the things that they are good at and want to do more of.   So now I need to decide what it is I provide for them to try, I don't want to end up with a house full of stuff that only gets used once or spend money on classes that they don't want to attend it is about finding the balance.

I am feeling more positive about it now.  I am no longer coveting the lovely things on other blogs that my children are not making.  We need to do what is right for us, for each of us as individuals and whatever that is I hope to find out!


Autumn

24 September 2013






I have been making bits and pieces for our seasonal table over the last week or so.  I realised at the beginning of September when we changed the books in the basket, taking out the summer ones and replacing with autumn, that we had nothing to decorate our tree with.  I have knitted some leaves in autumn inspired colours once again using this pattern.  I might add to these leaves with some felt ones which I thought the children could help with.

We made some little acorn peg people with some friends at a crafting session at their house, we have shared them here where you can also see that the tree is still summery!

We have recently collected a few pieces whilst out on walks to keep them together I thought I would make some bowls to put them in.  I have knitted a bowl which now needs felting and we have made one using fabric and glue, fabric mâché.  To make one of these you need to find a bowl to use as a form and cover it with cling film.  The material needs to be cut into thin strips and the glue, we used PVA, is watered down slightly.  Coat the material in the glue and lay over the bowl covered in cling.  You will to start the strips the right side down for the inside of the bowl, once you have covered the bowl place the strips right side up for the outside of the bowl then leave it to dry.  We made ours last week and went away for the weekend hoping it would be dry when we came back it was on the outside so we separated it from the bowl we were using and found it was a little damp inside still we have had to reglue it a little as it had pulled apart a little.  The material I used was quite thick, it was leftover from the curtains I made in the living room where our seasonal table is, I thought it would be fun if they matched, so it has taken longer to dry.  Once it is fully dry I will trim off the edges to neaten it up.  We got the idea from a book we have borrowed from the library.

The knitted bowl is a really quick knit which I made whilst the children were having their bath, once I had finished I put the completed 'bowl' on top of the children's clothes that needed sorting. When I came to take the knitting downstairs I discovered I was a needle short and hunted around for it to no avail, it still hasn't turned up!

I have several other ideas of things we could make to add to our table including mushrooms and fungi if we have time we will make some this year if not then it can wait until next.  This is our first year having a seasonal table so we are taking it slowly building up items to put on it.

Moments...

23 September 2013


...this week of...

...happiness watching my youngest's face at singing group, baking with the children, going swimming after a long break from it, spending a couple of days with family.

...sadness my father in law, he is declining in health rapidly it breaks my heart.

...creating fabric mâché bowl, acorn peg people, birthday cards, a farm, autumn leaves, felted bowl and knitted slippers.

...reading Free to Learn 

...learning about cutting and using sharp knives, working together, inertia, forces, religion.

...thinking about my mother in law.

...wondering about making some autumn/winter clothes for my youngest.

...hoping friends we have not seen for a while can join us for a day out this week.

...looking forward to a visit to an aquarium.

Gratitudes

22 September 2013


Joining in with Taryn for her heartfelt Sunday tradition.

A time to slow down, to reflect, to be grateful.

This week I have been grateful for...

...a lovely afternoon crafting and singing with my youngest and friends.

...chatting with friends round a fire.

...a day out with my children on a sunny day.

...the local swimming pool being open at a good time for us when we visit our local town each week.

...lovely books to share, read and look at from the library.

...a chill out day at home we needed the recharging.

...listening to my children playing, throughout the week, with the farm they set up.

...a brief stay with family for a celebration.

...completing another Christmas present.

...a tidy house.

...finding our rhythm again, it keeps us grounded.

Windows

20 September 2013










The rhythm that I described last week continues to work well for us.

We have baked again this time cakes and biscuits, this is a good start to our week as it gives us a supply of snacks.  Before joining our singing group we sat and did a craft together making acorn people which we have placed on our seasonal table.  We have put our autumn books on our table but the tree is still looking summery.  We have some autumn leaves to put on it but as the leaves are still green where we live we have not changed them just yet.

We have lots of birthdays and other celebrations coming up in the next few weeks so we sat and made a few cards on Tuesday morning.  I am usually scrabbling around at the last minute to make a card or I don't send one at all, I will try and remember to do this each month in preparation.  In the afternoon we join our friends for our usual play date.  I was given a whole sheep fleece by one friend which I am hoping to dye, felt and spin.  I need to do some research before I can start this so if you can recommend and good websites or books on this I would love to hear about them.

After retuning home from all our various trips I asked the children what they really wanted to do once they were home.  My youngest wanted to go on a train ride and visit a castle which is what we did on Wednesday.  We were lucky with the weather as it has been really wet lately and it was a rare dry, sunny day.  We explored the castle and museum, had lunch and then found we had some spare time before returning to the train, we spent it in a secondhand bookshop close to the castle.  It is an absolute warren of a shop, as most secondhand bookshops usually are we came away with three books, I could have bought many more!

We managed to fit in a swim on Thursday as part of our trip into the local town.  Last week the pool was closed so we had to give it a miss, this week we had the pool to ourselves.  It is a great time to swim, between 3 and 4 pm only the small pool is open at that time as the larger pool is in use for adult swimming lessons.  It is unlikely to ever be that busy as most of the users of that pool will be picking their children up from school.  We have not managed to fit in swimming for a few weeks now, we missed the last few weeks of our outdoor village pool which is now closed for the season it will be good to fit this into our week once again.

Today we have stayed at home for the day.  We did some more science experiments this morning, we looked at vibrations and air waves which included playing some loud music!  We also looked at forces, inertia, acids and alkalis.  Our crystals did not grow that we set up last week we will have a go at them again with different materials this time.  In the afternoon my youngest and I had a go at making a bowl using strips of material and glue, fabric mâché an idea from a book we got out the library this week.  I hope to put this on our seasonal table to store our finds from walks.  If it works I can think of other bits and pieces that I could put in them, we need to wait for the glue to dry to find out.

At the beginning of the week the children got our farm set out.  This is a collection of animals, vehicles and buildings that we were given by some friends their children have grown now and they no longer had space for it.  They set up a farm using fences to make fields for various animals and the buildings for storage and sleeping.  Throughout the week in between other things that have been going on they have spent time together playing with their farm.  They have milked the cows, sheared the sheep, baled hay, fed the animals and driven vehicles around on various jobs.  The fields have changed shape and position through the week as have the animals within them.  It has been lovely to listen to them interacting throughout the week as they have managed their farm.

Lunch

19 September 2013

At the beginning of last week my husband returned to work as an employee having previously been self employed.  This has meant many changes in our house not least the fact that he is out the house for the same hours five days a week.  It has also meant that I have had to do more food planning and cooking.

I have been following with interest a story that has been in the news this week about school lunches, from next September all children in the first three years of school are to be given a free school lunch. This proposal follows a report commissioned by the government looking into getting children to eat well in school and to get them excited by food so that they want to eat it.  The reports authors spent a year on their research visiting schools, eating in them and talking to a wide sample of people.  I have read most of this report out of interest despite not having a child in the education system.  I agree with parts of the report particularly on pages 35 & 6 when they consider the decline in cooking in households in this country something I have written about in the past.  It was page 47 & 8 on the subject of packed lunches that made me both laugh and cry, they offer a suggested list of contents all to be made from scratch which would apparently be a Herculean task for a parent in full time work. As I am not in paid full time work I expect I am not qualified to comment, but as I am in unpaid full time mothering I had a wry smile at the list.

My husband is not a fan of sandwiches, he loathes them.  His return to work means that as he walks out the door at 8am five days a week he needs to have in his hand a lunch, a packed lunch no less, no sandwiches.  I have been planning our lunches for a while now but most of what I make would not work that well in a lunch box even with reheating facilities at work.  So now I find myself on most of those five days providing a second lunch for him and, as I am not willing to get up at 7am to make it, I have been preparing it the night before.  The first week this was a nightmare as I kept forgetting about it and felt like I was cooking for hours as I ended up making it after we had eaten.  This week I am better prepared and make it up as I cook our evening meal.  So to keep it simple at the moment the menu is:

  1. Rice Salad
  2. Sandwiches
  3. Couscous Salad
  4. Pasties
  5. Pasta Salad
I know, I know I have sneaked sandwiches into the list!  I couldn't come up with anything else and I wanted at least one relatively easy night.  I made a batch of pasties last week and stuck them in the freezer along with several loaves of bread to make things slightly quicker.  The salads have had a variety of ingredients in them including, not all at once, peppers, cucumbers, chickpeas, fresh herbs, peas, courgette and tomatoes.  It will be interesting to see what he does if the children and I go away!

Knitting

18 September 2013


I have been slowly working on the slippers this week.  I have finished knitting one and have knitted the sole of the other.  I am knitting these away from my husband as they are a present, this is easier than last year because he is now out at work (last year being self employed he was in and out) however I have a few pairs to make so I am glad I started now so I am not rushing to finish in December.  Thank you to those who gave advice last week on the sort of sole I could use to make these more durable.  I am going to look into leather first, so when these are knitted they are far from finished!

This week I have been reading a book I recently bought after reading a review in a Sunday newspaper.  Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way for Parents is about discovering your creativity something I thought I could do with doing more of, I read blogs where there are pictures of all the wonderful items their children have created whereas I have non to share.  As I read through this book, which is full of exercises, I am already doing so much of what she suggests.  I could feel aggrieved at buying a book which is not telling me anything new but it has been a great affirmation for me and made me realise that I am doing something right in that part of my children's education.  I have been reminded that creativity is not all about paper and glue.

Joining in with Ginny and Tami for sharing of yarny creations and reading.

Eleventy

17 September 2013

My youngest has been showing an interest in numbers over the last six months, before that she was only vaguely aware of them.  Over the last six months we have concentrated first on the numbers one to five followed by five to ten.  We have read lots of books that involve counting particularly the beautiful illustrated The Pear Tree by Meredith Hooper.  We have played lots of board games moving the counter together to start off with, this also helped with reading numbers on the dice which she can now do without counting the dots.  We have used a book with magnetic tiles Learn to Count which has helped with recognising the written form of numbers.  We have also played the number games in a lovely set from Living and Learning called NumberStart which does not appear to be available to buy any more this has consolidated learning in all forms of numbers and patterns.

She is now ready to move on to numbers beyond ten.  The numbers that are really hard to learn in English and most languages around the world, there are a few exceptions, as they are completely illogical.  Eleven?  Twelve?  It would seem from my limited research that they are a hangover from the days of old when much was counted in quantities up to a dozen or twelve a number which is divisible by more numbers than ten.  So there were particular names for the first twelve numbers in counting before you start with adding ten, thirteen etc., like so many words in our language it has never been changed for the sake of logic.  Once you have learnt the written forms up to ten it is then very easy to recognise the numbers beyond 11, 12, 13 etc.,  my youngest has no problem with putting these numbers in order but the words are flumoxing her.  At the moment we are on eleventy and twelvety which are marvellous adaptations in my book and we are sticking to for the moment.

When we count eleven elephants, which we have in one book, we have eleventy ephelents oh the joys of language and young children!

Moments...

16 September 2013

...this week of...

...happiness our first week at a singing group for my youngest she had a big smile on her face all the way through this is the first activity we have attended especially for her, spending a weekend talking, eating and drinking with some dear friends we have known for years.

...sadness that my husband has had to return to working for an employer this week there are many pros and cons to this decision.

...creating knitted slippers, homemade bread, nutella palmiers and autumn leaves for our seasonal table.

...reading The Artist's Way for Parents by Julia Cameron

...learning about multiplying numbers, numbers between 11 and 20, knots, air pressure, experimenting, sharks, earthquakes and plate tectonics.

...thinking about all those who do not have a roof over their head as the weather turns cooler, wetter and windier.

...wondering how I can fit in some time in the garden soon as it is looking very neglected.

...looking forward to seeing my family this weekend.

Gratitudes

15 September 2013


Joining in with Taryn for her heartfelt Sunday tradition.

A time to slow down, to reflect, to be grateful.

This week I have been grateful for...

...a friend inviting us to join a weekly singing group that she hosts, my youngest had a lovely time whilst my eldest played with her older children, we are looking forward to joining in again this week.

...time to catch up with friends who I have not seen much over the summer as we have all been so busy, it was great to sit together, crafting and chatting.

...my husband starting a job which will give us a more secure income in the future.

...being able to home educate my children.

...spending time with some old friends sharing food and time together, it is always great to be with these friends as we have known each other so long.

...an old school friend of my husbands who rang to alert us about what is happening with my in laws, he was concerned about how tired my mother in law is looking, he lives round the corner we are 300 miles away.

...our new rhythm which I am gently introducing making us all feel calmer and more grounded, it will still need to me to work at it for a few months until it becomes familiar I hope we can continue to make it work.

Beginnings

13 September 2013





The wheel of the year has turned in a new direction for our family this week.  September marks the change of the season from the warmth of the summer to the gradual cooling of autumn, my favourite season, it has also marked changes for us.

After five years of self employment my husband has returned to being an employee.  The last nine months to a year have been very uncertain for us, our income has been high in some months and non-existent in others, it has made budgeting hard.  We are prudent with our money, we have plenty of savings and no mortgage so we have enough to see us through the lean times.  Planning anything has been difficult our holiday time together has gone reduced to a short break at our parents, volunteering on a scout camp or our annual trip to a music festival.  We did not want to put anything in the diary in case some work came along, I have taken a few trips away with the children but all most of our family time has been spent at home.

I wasn't sure how this changes would effect the children.  My eldest was three when daddy became self employed and I was pregnant with our youngest, neither of them would remember a time when he was out of the house on the same days, at the same time every week.  Every morning this week they have asked where he has gone followed by when he will be back, to them work has involved him being around more than he has been this week.  We have explained to them that work now means something different, that it involves five days of the week the same five days and that the same two days every week daddy will be at home.  It will take time to comprehend what this really means as it is outside their experience and therefore understanding.  I am going to draw up a list which shows what they do in a week and what daddy is doing so that, my eldest at least, has some way of knowing what is happening each day.  We will put it next to the calender we use.

The other change is that my youngest has reached official school age at four years three months and has followed her brother into home education, thankfully this change is not noticeable to them.  My eldest would now be in the second year of this a stage or level within the education establishment, I knew a little about the previous stage and where he was at comparatively, at this level I know nothing and nor am I required to a privilege I am thankful for.

We follow an autonomous route for our learning, the children take ownership of what they learn.  I see myself in a role as a supporter, facilitator, listener, soundboard and many others!  We don't sit and having formal learning time, I don't spend hours writing lesson plans.  I do plan, I research and I learn all the time.  I offer them activities in areas that interest them, I show them activities which would extend their area of interest.  I don't force them to partake in any activity I offer but I have found that if they don't engage immediately they usually come back to at some point that day.  I practice the art of strewing sometimes successfully, sometimes totally wide of the mark.  I have learnt not to take a rebuff personally, just because it interests me does not mean it is of any interest to them, that has been an important lesson to me.

This week I have wanted to return to the rhythm that we have built this year which has been on hold for the past two months what with other activities taking over and to the rhythm that I had started before my husband was around so much.  We are not ones for having a strict routine to our day, breakfast, followed by a then b then d then y with snacks at set times etc.  We are more in to having a rhythm to our week which for the most part has been activities outside the house, what I had started to do some time ago now but it had got lost, was to do certain activities on certain days at home.  Over the last couple of week I have been giving this alot of thought, I have had a big sort through all the books and resources that I have acquired over the last few years.  It will be a steady process of building up to a solid rhythm I don't want to blast through a whole set of major changes in one go especially as they have a big one to contend with, their daddy being out the house so much.

This week I started to build the foundations of a new rhythm.

Monday we baked bread together this took most of the morning and was interspersed, whilst it was rising, with playing with Lego.  After lunch we sat together whilst I read a chapter of a book and some poems on autumn.  We headed  out to a friends house, one we have never visited before, as we had been invited to join their singing group. We stayed for a play afterwards to get to know the children a little better, we have been meeting this family on and off for four years at various groups, but have not spent any time with them outside those groups.

Tuesday we spent some of the morning drawing and colouring. We had a chapter from our book and the same poems before an early, for us, lunch. We headed out on the afternoon to the friends we have been meeting up with for a long time now. This is usually an afternoon of play, sometimes we go and visit places and occasionally organise an activity.

Wednesday we spent the day at home, in the past we have met with a family but they no longer want to make a commitment to every week, they want to see us on a more adhoc basis which we will wait to see how that works. We spent the day doing lots of activities based around numbers, we did lots of sums, played games, counted things. After lunch we read a chapter from our book and then the children played shops. They spent ages creating them including lots of signs some of which I wrote for them. We got the money jar out and they used the coins in there, 1p,2p,5p,10p and 20p in their shops. None of the activity was planned it all evolved out of their interests and questions. Whilst they were playing shops I made some of these

Thursday we spent the children spent the morning playing whilst I sat planning our meals for the following seven days and a shopping list of the ingredients we needed. We read lots of books, stories and poems about autumn and another chapter from our book before having lunch. We headed into town to do the shopping and to meet a couple of families for a swim. Sadly the pool was closed, we are hoping that was a one off, so we headed to the park for a short play. We hope to swim every week, providing the pool is open!

Friday we also spent at home this week. We sometimes join a local home ed group if the activity is one we want to engage in, but it was not for us this week. Instead we did some science experiments including weighing air using balloons, testing out air pressure, watching hot water rise and we have set up two crystal growing trials. We also played lots of board games, read a chapter of our book and some more poems, rode bikes, practiced knots, competed jigsaws, watched a Maisy DVD in French and the children built a Lego concert.

As the weeks go on I hope that on a Monday we bake bread and do some other cooking/baking and the singing group. On Tuesday we find lots of interesting crafts to do together and get together with our friends. On Wednesday I plan to have a day out sometimes or at home doing perhaps more maths, I had not planned any activity for this day so I will think on this some more. On Thursday I hope to continue as we did this week. Lastly Fridays I am thinking we will join in with the home ed group or do an activity outside. None of this is set in stone I will swop things around and change things as we see fit, that for me is the wonderful nature of home edding it is a journey which you can decide the route as you go along.

Knitting

11 September 2013



I am still working on the jumper for my youngest, I am part way through the second sleeve.  The weather has turned much cooler now so I need to get it finished so it can be worn, she has been doing some growing lately and does not have many jumpers that fit now!

I have also been working on some slippers which seem to be knitting up at the right size finally.  I have had to up a whole mm in needle size to get the correct gauge, it was either that or adapt the pattern to knit on the needle size suggested.  Thankfully these knit up really quickly so although I have cast on several times already it does not take long to get back to where I was before.  I am going to knit a few pairs of these as Christmas presents in the hope that they would be quicker than the socks I knitted last year.  I am proposing to cover the sole with something, probably leather to help them last longer, has anyone ever done this before?  What have you used and how have you attached it?

I have put my book on hold this past week or so as I have been busy with other things.  I have been doing some autumn planning and have been reading books for ideas for crafts, walks and other autumn activities.  I have been dipping into The Children's YearThe Bumper Book of NatureSacred Celebrations and The Nature Corner amongst others.

Joining in with Tami for sharing of yarny work in progress and Ginny for sharing what folks are knitting and reading.

Water

10 September 2013

Welcome to the September 2013 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Staying Safe
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have shared stories and tips about protecting our families. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.
***
My husband and I met through our love of the outdoors, we were both working at the same place, an outdoor activity centre introducing young people and sometimes adults to climbing, canoeing and the like.  We have both ceased to work in outdoor centres but continue to do these activities ourselves, particularly canoeing and we owned two kayaks when our eldest was born.  We both felt that we really wanted to continue to walk, camp, climb and canoe with our children at a level that was suited to them, to introduce them to the activities and enable them, if they wanted to, to become proficient at them themselves.

We took each of our children canoeing for their first time at a really young age, around a year.  We chose a local lake as it is still water, in a canoe both chosen to remove the chance of tipping over.  A canoe is a very stable boat (unless you are in very turbulent waters) and it also provides plenty of room for any kit you might need and all of us!  The children wore lifejackets which are designed to float the wearer on their back should they fall in.  Since their introduction we have taken them on many trips, to local lakes and rivers.  We have also completed several expeditions, carrying all our equipment and food in the boat, including the Caledonian Canal.

You might be reading this and thinking we are mad taking children out so young on water.  Water is inherently dangerous but only if you don't assess the risks and manage them as far as you can.  If a child falls out of a canoe, in still waters, in a lifejacket then the worse thing that could happen to them is they get wet.  My children have both learnt to swim this summer but both of them have always been very confident in the water.  They are not frightened of it.  I believe this is because we have shown them that it is possible to be around water even when you cannot swim, enjoy it and stay safe.

I remember running a canoeing activity at a weekend summer camp for young people, my eldest was about three at the time and spent the whole day on a jetty, playing wearing his lifejacket.  I stayed on the bank (it was a very small lake) supervising him and the activity.  Several adults who I encountered watched him and wondered who he belonged to, they were worried that he was close to the water, when I asked them what they were worried about I was informed that he might fall in.  Yes indeed he might and he will get wet, but he will not come to any harm as he is wearing a lifejacket.  Sadly they felt I was irresponsible to allow him to play in that way, he didn't fall in all weekend he felt safe, I trusted him and I had assessed the risks hence the lifejacket.

As our children grow older we will continue to canoe together as a family.  Now that they are both swimming we have bought them Bouyancy Aids and taken them swimming in a lake so they could test them out.  We hope to take them on what we call moving water, a river with a current that you can see, and the sea.  We may introduce them to kayaks too if they want to.  All this we will continue to do at a pace they are comfortable with to keep them safe and enjoying what they are doing.

We are lucky that as we have skills in canoeing ourselves we can take our children out but if you haven't then find someone who has.  Canoeing is not a risky activity unless you do not take sensible precautions and consider your risks before setting out.  It is fun, honest!
***
Carnival of Natural Parenting -- Hobo Mama and Code Name: MamaVisit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!
Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:
(This list will be updated by afternoon September 10 with all the carnival links.)
  • Stranger Danger — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama shares her approach to the topic of "strangers" and why she prefers to avoid that word, instead opting to help her 4-year-old understand what sorts of contact with adults is appropriate and whom to seek help from should she ever need it.
  • We are the FDA — Justine at The Lone Home Ranger makes the case that when it comes to food and drugs, parents are necessarily both their kids' best proponent of healthy eating and defense against unsafe products.
  • You Can't Baby Proof Mother Nature — Nicole Lauren at Mama Mermaid shares how she tackles the challenges of safety when teaching her toddler about the outdoors.
  • Bike Safety With Kids — Christy at Eco Journey In the Burbs shares her tips for safe cycling with children in a guest post at Natural Parents Network.
  • Spidey Sense — Maud at Awfully Chipper used a playground visit gone awry to teach her children about trusting their instincts.
  • Watersustainablemum explains how she has used her love of canoeing to enable her children to be confident around water
  • Safety without baby proofing — Hannabert at Hannahandhorn talks about teaching safety rather than babyproofing.
  • Coming of Age: The Safety Net of Secure AttatchmentGentle Mama Moon reflects on her own experiences of entering young adulthood and in particular the risks that many young women/girls take as turbulent hormones coincide with insecurities and for some, loneliness — a deep longing for connection.
  • Mistakes You Might Be Makings With Car Seats — Car seats are complex, and Brittany at The Pistachio Project shares ways we might be using them improperly.
  • Could your child strangle on your window blinds? — One U.S. child a month strangles to death on a window blind cord — and it's not always the obvious cords that are the danger. Lauren at Hobo Mama sends a strong message to get rid of corded blinds, and take steps to keep your children safe.
  • Tips to Help Parents Quit Smoking (and Stay Quit) — Creating a safe, smoke-free home not only gives children a healthier childhood, it also helps them make healthier choices later in life, too. Dionna at Code Name: Mama (an ex-smoker herself) offers tips to parents struggling to quit smoking, and she'll be happy to be a source of support for anyone who needs it.
  • Gradually Expanding Range — Becca at The Earthling's Handbook explains how she is increasing the area in which her child can walk alone, a little bit at a time.
  • Safety Sense and Self Confidence — Do you hover? Are you overprotective? Erica at ChildOrganics discusses trusting your child's safety sense and how this helps your child develop self-confidence.
  • Staying Safe With Food Allergies and Intolerances — Kellie at Our Mindful Life is sharing how she taught her son about staying safe when it came to his food allergies.
  • Don't Touch That Baby!Crunchy Con Mom offers her 3 best tips for preventing unwanted touching of your baby.
  • Playground Wrangling: Handling Two Toddlers Heading in Opposite Directions — Megan at the Boho Mama shares her experience with keeping two busy toddlers safe on the playground (AKA, the Zone of Death) while also keeping her sanity.
  • Letting Go of "No" and Taking Chances — Mommy at Playing for Peace tries to accept the bumps, bruises and tears that come from letting her active and curious one-year-old explore the world and take chances.
  • Preventing Choking in Babies and Toddlers with Older Siblings — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now gives tips on preventing choking in babies and toddlers along with Montessori-inspired tips for preventing choking in babies and toddlers who have older siblings working with small objects.
  • Keeping Our Children Safe: A Community and National Priority — September has many days and weeks dedicated to issues of safety; however, none stir the emotions as does Patriot Day which honors those slain the terrorist attacks. Along with honoring the victims, safety officals want parents to be ready in the event of another disaster whether caused by terrorists or nature. Here are their top tips from Mary at Mary-andering Creatively.
  • A Complete Family: Merging Pets and Offspring — Ana at Panda & Ananaso shares the ground rules that she laid out for herself, her big brown dog, and later her baby to ensure a happy, safe, and complete family.
  • Be Brave — Shannon at Pineapples & Artichokes talks about helping her kids learn to be brave so that they can stay safe, even when she's not around.
  • Catchy PhrasingMomma Jorje just shares one quick tip for helping kids learn about safety. She assures there are examples provided.
  • Know Your Kid — Alisha at Cinnamon&Sassfras refutes the idea that children are unpredictable.
  • Surprising car seat myths — Choosing a car seat is a big, important decision with lots of variables. But there are some ways to simplify it and make sure you have made the safest choice for your family. Megan at Mama Seeds shares how, plus some surprising myths that changed her approach to car seats completely!
  • I Never Tell My Kids To Be Careful — Kim is Raising Babes, Naturally, by staying present and avoiding the phrase "be careful!"

Moments...

09 September 2013

...this week of...

...happiness camping in dry weather, hearing owls at dusk whilst camping, produce from the garden, listening to the whole programmes on the radio whilst driving without being interrupted, a few hours to myself to recharge 

...sadness that our holidays are over for a while

...creating a jumper and slippers, Lego models, food for twenty five whilst camping

...reading books to inspire autumn crafts and things to do such as The Children's YearThe Bumper Book of Nature and Sacred Celebrations

...learning about dinosaurs, reptiles, insects, numbers, burrowing animals, lighthouses and rivers

...thinking about all the children who have returned to school this and week and how incredibly lucky we are that we can home educate

...wondering what to include in our weekly rhythm as we start our journey with both children officially not at school

...hoping find the time to do more planning for our home education journey

...looking forward to catching up with friends this week who I feel like I have not seen properly for ages.

Gratitudes

08 September 2013



Joining in with Taryn for her heartfelt Sunday tradition.

A time to slow down, to reflect, to be grateful.

This week I have been grateful for...

...the beautiful weather whilst camping,

...the company of some wonderful teenagers and adults,

...the beautiful countryside in the country I live in,

...time for quietness, stillness and contemplation amongst the busyness,

...a walk in the hills,

...a canoe trip on an interesting river we saw so much wildlife including Ospreys catching fish,

...listening to the Owls hooting around us as we went to sleep each night whilst camping,

...an offer from a friend to join a weekly singing group for my youngest,

...the produce from my garden,

...returning home,

...sleeping in a comfy bed after several nights camping,

...a truly wonderful week*

* the photo sums it up, my youngest and I created it in the woods behind our tent one morning.


Evolving

07 September 2013

This time of year always feels like a time for change, I read the same on a blog this week, that it is easier to make changes to your life now than at new year when most people, try to, do.  As my children grow and change I have made subtle changes every now and then but right now I am feeling a need for something a bit bigger.  I have yet to decide completely what form they will take and will take things steady if I need to rather than introducing a whole load of newness all at once.

We like to have a rhythm to our week, it is important to us to do the same thing on a particular day every week, if possible.  Lately with it having being summer we have dropped our rhythm some what.  We have been away quite a bit, as have our friends so it feels quite natural to reintroduce this with some added extras and changes.

One friend has asked not to meet up regularly I am not sure how this will work for us trying to fit in get togethers in a less fixed way, we like to know what we are doing if it doesn't work perhaps we will have to move on make new friends.  Another friend has invited us to join them for some singing every week and on another day swimming something new to add to our week.

I also feel a need to bring more structure to our time at home to see if it could work, as of this week I now have two children who are officially not attending school.  I tried structure with my eldest for the first few weeks he would have been at school and he hated it perhaps I was trying the wrong kind of structure or maybe with two children (my youngest was only a few months old when my eldest reached school age) if one shows an interest the other will join in.  I think I am going to start by offering something one morning a week and after a few weeks add another morning activity.  This will give me a bit of time to work out what to offer and slowly introduce the change.   If that doesn't work I will think again,  for me this is the beauty of home education and learning it can change to suit the needs of my children when they want and need it to.

Gems

05 September 2013

The last two weeks have been wonderful and busy.  We have packed in so much and finally returned home, I had thought about going away later this month but I think it would be best if we didn't for everyone's sanity.

We discovered lots of wonderful new music at the festival we attended over the bank holiday weekend.  We were really looking forward to seeing one of our favourite bands play, Afro Celt Sound System, they did not disappoint.  The children managed to stay awake for the whole set and loved hearing live versions of the tracks that they dance around the living room to, it was a great start to the weekend.

I spent an evening laughing out loud to the bizarre and funny, Colvin Quarmby who played beautiful music with haunting lyrics with mad chatter in between.  We were introduced to new musicians such as Tim O'BrienBarnstar! playing their UK debut and  the wonderful Be Good Tanyas.  We listened to old favourites such as Heidi TalbotLuke Jackson and Capercaillie.

Alongside all the music was dancing, ceilidhs, workshops and more.  The children made lanterns in a workshop and on the last evening joined hundreds of others, at dusk, for a parade headed up by a wonderful drumming and percussion band Sambassadors of Groove.

We were not sure if we wanted to attend this festival again as we were disappointed last year but after this year I think this will be a permanent fixture on our calendar.  It is the one time of the year when I do what I want, I love live music and stay up late and listen to it all, my husband takes the children to bed!

We sandwiched the festival between a few days of visiting friends who live nearby this meant we were away for a week.  We arrived home late on a Tuesday and had two days to sort out the camping stuff, which thankfully was dry, do a mountain of shopping, get clothes washed and more kit out before heading away again.  Thankfully I did not have any cooking to do in preparation this time, before heading to the music festival I precooked all our lunches and suppers!

This time we headed to Northumberland with a group of eighteen teenagers and three other adults for a summer camp.  We stayed in a delightful village, Ford from which we headed out to activities.  We had two groups completing their D of E expedition at Silver and Gold level which I was assessing.  We had a third group who did an overnight expedition, a days canoeing on the Rivet Tweed and a day climbing on a local crag.  We finished the camp with an extended lunch on Bamburgh beach a beautiful long sandy and mostly empty beach.

It is always a pleasure to be in the company of these teenagers, this is the fifth summer camp we have helped out with and we love doing it.  It is immensely hard work but such fun, which is why we do it.  Our children always come with us and have great fun spending time with some older children.  On the last evening after we had eaten we were sat round a campfire celebrating the achievements of the camp with the owls hooting around us and the sky black and full of stars it was a fitting end.

I spent a great deal of time driving around whilst on camp to meet the d of e groups I was assessing.  I listened to the radio on these journeys and it was a real treat to listen to an entire programme without any interruptions.  One in particular is worthy of a listen, Frys English Delight a very interesting look at the evolution of our quirky and bizarre spelling.

I have returned home now and we are mostly unpacked.  I have a mountain of laundry and it is raining.... I have a garden bursting with veg, yum yum.  I have two happy children who have played together all day and who have been asking if we can stay at home for a while and do you know I think we will, as much as I love to go away, home is good for me and no pictures again I was too busy having a good time!