My Gratitude Jar♥

We highly recommend "My Gratitude Jar"
by Kristin Wiens...

You can find the link listed below...

When we take time to be grateful we feel happier...

We challenge you to all make your own Gratitude Jars!

Please show us pictures of your finished jars ♥

You will need pieces of paper so that you can write all the things you are grateful for on the pieces.

Decorate your chosen jar and put the strips of paper with things you are grateful for inside.

When you need to remember what you are thankful for, you can pull the strips of paper out and remind yourself why you should be grateful.

Let us know things you are thankful for...

Wishing you all very hygge, bright blessings♥

Long Story Shortz - My Gratitude Jar - Written and Narrated by Kristin Wiens

Musings of Hope...♥

Just like you, we are still navigating our new normal.  We are doing our best to relax and think through the issues we are facing.  Morning meditation and reading have been calming and soothing, with a little Cosmic Kids yoga thrown in.  My kiddos have immersed themselves in the arts for a long portion of the day.  Their creations range from modeling clay pokemon figures to miniature family members to the fairy tea party pictured above.  My daughter was especially pleased with her modeling clay tea cups, saucers, dishes and fruit, all set up with her other loose parts... absolutely delighted and lost in her imaginary tales... pure bliss♥

I know it doesn't look like it but we too are suddenly home schooling again but this time it's due to the pandemic.  What I like to share with parents who haven't home schooled is... you don't want your home to be just like the institution you just left.  Don't try to recreate school at home.  Home is their safe place, their comfortable retreat from the world and where we can be love and be still.  We also don't focus on the pandemic but do add in a daily update and the new "normals" we need to accommodate and participate in.

We have been reading 'Ominous Campfire Adventures' that we started just before 'World Storytelling Day'.  Instead of saving it for our campfire adventures in summer, we decided to make up a makeshift campfire out of collected sticks, tissue paper, wool and sparkly pipe cleaner!  We added mini marshmallows on skewers to fully immerse in the experience of the Northern Ontario Canada campfire tales.  A special thanks to Grandma (my Mom), for the great series of short stories... a truly awesome Christmas gift!  After this, we will return after a brief intermission, to our morning readings of the screen play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.  I read to the kids over our breakfast and tea in the mornings before school.  My kids are ages are 6, 10, 14 and 16.  They all enjoy this time we share in the mornings and the stories we read!

 

We still enjoy our time in nature especially since the wakening of spring.  So much to explore and discover in spring.  During this time, we have seen the closure of our favourite spaces to hike and explore, but as long as we all shelter in place and do our part to plank the curve, we will be exploring again in the near future.  I'd like to share one of our meditation poetry moments and wish you the peace that comes with stillness...
"Today I'm flying low and I'm not saying a word. I'm letting all the voodoos of ambition sleep. The world goes on as it must, the bees in the garden rumbling a little, the fish leaping, the gnats getting eaten. And so forth. But I'm taking the day off. Quiet as a feather. I hardly move though really I'm traveling a terrific distance. Stillness. One of the doors into the temple."
~Mary Oliver, A Thousand Mornings

Today, we received the news with the rest of the province, that we will have another month of our home schooling endeavours but will also have to add in school led instruction time on computers.  This too will be incorporated but it will be added to keep them on track in their studies.  We will still embark on home school interests while we can... reading, art, meditation, yoga and exploring interests.  This time has been scary,  with horrible loss... make sure they have good memories too... Breathe, remind ourselves and them that we are all enough and doing enough.  “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” ~WB Yeats... like the wonderful author Jean Pendziwol says, "don't worry about the pail, just keep the fires lit".  She also wrote this poignant poem about hope for these uncertain times...

I found hope in a cherry tree that places tiny buds

on shivering leaf-bare branches in autumn

knowing that shadows can disappear
and stories can howl like wolves
and snowflakes can be icy and sharp
and there is no way for the tree to be sure
that the buds will ever bloom

But the cherry tree knows it is hope in autumn

that brings flowers in spring

 ~Jean Pendziwol

Thanks so much for joining us... wishing you love, calm, peace and fortitude in these challenging and uncertain times, Sherry♥

Copious amounts of unfettered, unobstructed, unaltered, unbelievably joyful, FREE PLAY!

We are a mere 20 days from the start of summer and all the season brings...  

Here is an excerpt from Gary Direnfeld's musings, a social worker in Keswick Ontario... 

"Some parents are scrambling to find enough programs and activities to occupy their kids time...  Remember, that free time, time to explore, ride a bike, hike and be outside is also of value.  In free time kids learn to meet their needs, explore interests and learn to occupy themselves.  For so many kids, dependent upon structured activities, this is a lost skill. With the loss of this skill, away goes independence and self reliance, key skills for survival."  

Well put Gary:)

Bring on Summer and copious amounts of unfettered, unobstructed, unaltered, unbelievably joyful, FREE PLAY!  

Welcome to Summer♥

A piece of quiet...

In the morning, when kiddos are off to their individual journeys for the day; I find myself sitting with my cuppa in quiet contemplation.

Sitting peacefully in the moment enjoying the now.

 Peace and quiet...

I've always felt the saying should be a piece of quiet.

A time for peace and sitting in the quiet to hear your own thoughts.

It's not always been easy for me to enjoy the now with the "what's next" to accomplish on my list.

I find this time of quiet reflection grounding.

Helping me gather my thoughts, myself for the "what's next".

There will always be a lengthy list of expectations,

of the "things" I "need" to get done.

There will always be a hustle and bustle to the world around us.

Take time to sit and contemplate alone with your cuppa,

or with your dear ones.

Wake up earlier to carve out time for your kids to sit in calm,

quiet reflection before they start their day.

There is so much to be said for this grounding and hygge activity:)

Our poem today...

Brew me a cup for a winter's night.
For the wind howls loud and the furies fight;
Spice it with love and stir it with care,
And I'll toast our bright eyes,
my sweetheart fair.
~ Minna Thomas Antrim

 

Displaying words for comfort and inspiration,

is a beautiful way to gather thoughts for reflection.

They were written and photographed by the lovely

Susan Gaylord and hung in her crab apple tree.

The kids and I love this inspiring tree and think the words should be hung on bunting for an interior display.

They enjoy revisiting past projects of meaning and cringe at the thought of their work being left out to the elements.

Have a blessed and wonderful day my friends.

It's a bright new morning of possibility♥

It's the Winter Solstice♥

Our home is celebrating the Winter Solstice by giving back to nature. This lovely gift is hanging in our lilac trees above our bird pub.  It's a fun tradition to decorate a tree outside with edible treats for wild life. 

 Going for a solstice walk is a great way to spend this astronomical event.  Talking about the longest night and it's significance as we explore the newness of the winter season is a pleasurable way to spend the day.  A little further down is the science activity we share with the kiddos, along with some winter solstice poetry.  Embracing the darkness and celebrating the return of the light, we wish you love, peace and joy this Winter Solstice♥

 

 Winter Solstice science with our kiddos:)

Winter Solstice is the first day of winter in the northern hemisphere with the fewest hours of daylight.  

The North Pole is tilted the farthest from the sun.

Blessed♥

Whether I walk trails or parks with my kiddos,
Or gaze upon the birds nest in our yard,
Or wade our feet along the beach just in the edge of the water,
Or stand under vastly soaring trees in the woods,
Or converse, or rest, or dine with the ones I love, 

Or play fun games, or thoughtful inquiry with my littles,
Or become lost in one of our new books... or old ones,
Or watch my littles riding with me in the van,
 Or watching sleepy baby eyes while nursing,
Or become deeply moved while we watch films,
Or watching our wildlife on our homestead,
Or wet kisses on my cheek and little arms around my neck,
Or delight in leaves or snow twirling through the air,
Or the wonder of sunset, dawn, or of stars shining so quiet and bright,
Or the exquisite scent of my babies hair, or the quiet of their breath on my skin;

Or cuddle entwined, holding hands or being close... 
These with the rest, one and all, are to me miracles and I feel truly blessed♥

SGJ~2017♥ 

  Based on Leaves of Grass poetry collection by Walt Whitman

Provocations with loose parts and play dough♥

Here is a picture story of the creative play that can happen 

from setting up loose parts and play dough provocations:)

 I like to add in authentic resources like the real, metal cookie cutters in a fancy silver tray.

 Small, interesting containers (even the glass ones you see in the pictures) with sorted, various small 

parts and creative tools, are inviting and feed curious minds...

♥Books Books Books♥

For July, I thought I'd highlight one of our daily activities we adore♥

Our reading time has always been an important time of our day... 

Silent reading allows one to explore new worlds, new depths and new reflections... 

"Buddy reading" is a sharing experience, making connections while learning from each other♥

Our journals create an extension to our reading where they can record their thoughts and feelings...

All forms are equally important on their literary journeys... 

Here is a peek of this months adventures into the land of imagination:D

 

 

 Libraries are a buffet for the mind and dear to my heart♥

 

 Our table is most often covered in books, journals, sketch pads and snacks;)

Here are a few of our favourites in July♥

 

The kids loved to call out the animals and sounds... all ears all eyes:)

 

 A favourite of my 8 year old son...  while he mostly reads chapter books on his own, he relishes the opportunity to read this kind of picture book to the girls... it has a fictional story line but load in a ton of useful facts about animals they want to learn more about:)

 This was a peaceful book... I could have read it over and over... put the girls right to sleep;)

 This was by far a group favourite... all gathered around to listen to the wonderful cd and read along with the book... I've ordered us a copy for home... it's one of the ones they don't want to take back to the library... it's a keeper... and their copy should arrive in August♥

 ... made Mommy cry reading it to them... ♥

 Another favourite for the 3, 4 and 8 year old kids... my 8 year old son loved reading this one to the girls for imagining cloud shapes is one of his favourite pass times♥

 Lovely story with something special for their journals... a little something to remember...

 This book of poetry tied in to our study of trees this past month.  There were poems for all the kids aged 3, 4, 8, 12 and 13... and the older ones got a real kick out of the play on words... must read... Poetrees;)

 This chapter book is making it's rounds between all the boys ages 8, 12 and 13... it's entertaining, well written story grabs their attention and pulls them deep into the little world of our tiny hero♥

A small spherical toy often made from glass, clay, steel, plastic or agate... Yes... It's a Marble!

I love the creative, unconventional way kids play with loose parts!  

These are some of the cool creations the kiddos have made up using marbles!

  

Creativity. Blocks and other loose parts can be moved freely by children, to be combined and recombined in countless ways.—Angela Eckhoff
 Here is the link to my kiddo demonstrating his lego and marble game:) 

Self-esteem. Children discover that they have ideas and that they can bring their ideas to life by creating, transforming, demolishing, and re-creating something unique.—Holly Bohart

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again♥ This is such a great example of teaching the kids to be persistent... keep trying... your mistakes are your best teacher and you could look at it as "trial 1, trial 2, trial 3... success!"

 This link takes you to a video of my kids in action, building with the dominoes and marbles:)

 Problem solving. Sometimes it is intentional: “I want to build X. How do I do that?” Other times it is in-the-moment: “To go higher and add to one side, what can I use?”—Peter Pizzolongo

 Here is an example of the kiddos engaged today in that kind of problem solving... after some creative thinking, they made it work:D

This link takes you to a video of my kiddos and their marble track:D

 

How To Play the Classic Marble Game of Ringer
Most children understand the game of marbles the first time it is explained, but to make it easier, these drawings show the most common plays. 

FIG. 1: To start a game of Ringer the children lag from a line, drawn tangent to the ring, to a parallel line across the ring, which would be 10 feet away. The child whose shooter comes nearest the line has the first shot. Players must lag before each game. Practice lagging, as the first shot may mean the winning of the game before your opponent gets a shot. In lagging, a child may toss his or her shooter to the other line, or he or she may knuckle down and shoot it.

FIG. 2: This shows child No. 1 who won the lag, preparing to knuckle down. His knuckle has not quite reached the ground, which is necessary before shooting. He can take any position about the ring he chooses. (The process of picking the best possible position for starting is referred to as "taking rounders.") The 13 marbles in the ring are arranged as in tournament play. For casual games, a one foot ring is drawn inside of the ten foot ring and each player puts in some 5/8" marbles, so that there is about a dozen marbles in the smaller ring.

FIG. 3: Child No. 1 knocks a marble from the ring on his first shot and his shooter stays in the ring. He picks up the marble. As he has knocked one from the ring, he is entitled to another try. Players are not permitted to walk inside the ring unless their shooter comes to a stop inside the ring. Penalty is a fine of one marble.

FIG. 4: Here we see child No. 1 continuing play. He "knuckles down" inside the ring where his shooter stopped on the last shot. This gives him the advantage of being nearer to the big group of marbles in the center of the ring for his next shot. Expert marble shots try to hit a marble, knock it out of ring and make their shooter "stick" in the spot. "Sticking" or shooting seven consecutive marbles out of the ring and winning the game without giving an opponent a turn is usually good for two days of playground bragging rights.

FIG 5: On this play, No. 1 hit a marble, but did not knock it from the ring. At the same time his shooter, too, stays inside the ring. He can not pick up the marble, and whether he is allowed to pick up his shooter depends on the type of play - in tournament play, if your shooter is in the ring at the end of your turn, you must remove it. In casual games, if your shooter is in the ring at the end of your turn, it becomes a legitimate target and any player who hits it out collects a forfeit from you, or even your shooter! (Players should agree in advance whether to use this rule.)

FIG. 6: Child No. 2 may start by "knuckling down" anywhere at the ring edge. In this case he may shoot at the 11 marbles in the center or if he wishes, he may go to the other side and try for the marble that No.1 almost knocked from the ring. In a casual game he might also try to knock the other player's shooter from the ring.

FIG. 7: Child No. 2 chooses to try for No. 1 child's shooter and knocks it out of ring, winning all the marbles No. 1 has taken (and his shooter, if that rule is being followed) and putting No. 1 out of that game. Or he could shoot as shown in Fig. 8.

FIG. 8: Child No. 2 hits a marble but does not knock it out of the ring, yet his shooter goes thru the ring and stops outside where he may pick it up. The target marble remains where it stopped in the ring, and as No. 2 did not score, it is now the turn of No. 1 to shoot again.

FIG. 9: No. 1 "knuckles down" inside the ring where his shooter stopped (Fig. 5). he is going to shoot at the marble nearest his shooter. By hitting it at the proper angle and knocking it from the ring he can get his shooter near the center of the ring for his next shot. Play alternates until one player has knocked a majority of the marbles out of the ring.   Go to www.landofmarbles.com/how-to-play.html for this printable and so many other fun marble games:D