Graduation!

We had a special graduation ceremony for the girls at the end of last month. I felt it was important to honor the school year we had together, and all of the progress the girls made. A week beforehand I sent out a special invitation to the grandparents, aunties and uncles. The day of the event I set our table up with some examples of the projects and main lesson books the girls had completed. Bear with me - I did not take many photos of this event, as it was much more important for me to be completely present:



Then the three of us made cupcake treats. We used violets and pansies to create a purple dye for the cakes and the frosting. First we filled a small jar with the dried flowers we had picked and dehydrated. Then we filled the jar with boiling water, covered it, and let it steep. After straining out the flowers we had a deep purple dye. It turned the cakes an unintended but cool greenish color, and the frosting became a beautiful lavender. We decorated them with gluten-free edible butterflies purchased on etsy, and sprigs of lavender:



When the guests arrived they had some time to peruse the work that was set up on the table. Once everyone was here we directed our guests to the playroom, where I had set up a slideshow. At 15 minutes, it might have been a tad long, but the girls were so proud and everyone seemed interested in seeing all the photos of their year. After the slideshow we moved to the living room, where the girls and I demonstrated a sample of "Circle Time" with songs, movement and rhymes. Then Isla played a song on her dulcimer and glockenspiel and Lyra did a puppet show. Then it was time for the ceremony. I lit a candle and took Isla to a special chair I had set up. I put a silk on her as a cape, and the wool crown I made for her. Then I spoke to her about how proud I was of her - of her big, generous heart, of how much she has grown, of her kindness and helpfulness, and of all the new, exciting things she was learning. Then I took her by the hand and led her to the bridge (our rocker board), and said, "Congratulations Isla, you are now ready for first grade!" Then she crossed the bridge on her own, to where I was waiting for her on the other side. I then presented her with her gifts: a copper ball, similar to my eurythmy balls she has been coveting, and a medicine pouch with a necklace inside. Then she sat down and I did a similar ceremony for Lyra. At the end, everyone came outside and we served dinner, with fairy cakes for dessert!

May Lessons

We kickstarted May with our much awaited backpacking trip along the Sespe River:



This month also marked the beginning of our learning about the Chumash. We read a book called "Badger Claws of Ojai" about a young Chumash boy who grew up in Ojai but whose Aunt and Uncle lived by the sea, probably in Carpinteria.



Here are the pictures the girls drew of young Badger Claws.



The gist of the story is that a young Chumash boy named Badger Claws is eager to become a brave. He lives with his grandmother because his parents have died. He spies on the sweat lodge ceremony by hiding behind a boulder, but he is caught by the Shaman. This lands Badger Claws in trouble because only the men of the village are allowed to participate in the ceremony. It is decided that Badger Claws will have to move to the sea to live with his aunt and uncle, unless he can prove that he is a man by living out on his own for three moons. He accepts this challenge and lives on his own out in the mountains along the Sespe (Yes! Just where we were backpacking!). He makes his own fire, catches and finds his own food, and builds himself a shelter. He makes friends with the animals around him, including an orphaned raccoon and a doe and her fawn. When the shaman returns three moons later, he is impressed with Badger Claws but tells him there is more to the challenge: Badger Claws will have to prove he can take care of his village by bringing his people big game and by bringing them another gift that will help them. I won't spoil the ending, but I highly recommend the book, especially if you live in the area.

Another book we are reading this month is "Song of the Seven Herbs":



The big excitement at our house was the house finch nest that hung in my gardening bag right outside our front door. We got to watch the whole process, from hatchlings to fledglings, to the next round of eggs:



This month was also full of crafts and fun. We separated the seeds from our cotton fluff, made flower ice cubes with the star flowers from our borage plants, dyed silk with the garden lobelia, made play dough and flying owls, added yoga to our nighttime ritual, went hiking and famping (fake camping, where you hang out all day at the camp site and cook dinner there, but then go home and sleep in your own bed) and played in the mud:



We took a field trip up to Gaviota to pick blueberries (just past the tunnel, on your right):



Then stopped at the farm stand on the way back to pick strawberries and chard, feed the animals, and pick up some organic produce:



We were gone all day! By the time we got home it was too late to make a pie, so we had berries and whipped cream for dessert. The next morning we set to work on our pie:



A challenge for me this month has been letting go. I want to do much, much more than I am capable of doing. One example is the kids' meals. I want to make them beautiful meals from scratch every day. Some days this happens, but sometimes I just can't get it together. The other morning I had set out to make muffins, but Jupiter was cranky and Lyra was starving. Frozen waffles to the rescue! I was feeling a little defeated when Lyra got the great idea to make them fancy. She skipped out to the garden to collect star flowers and pansies, and we put some of our violet syrup on them. It completely transformed breakfast into a dish fit for a princess!



Last month's challenge, math, was still a little challenging, but at least we are making some progress. The math games we've done this month are "Shut the Box", Dominos, and lots of fun with Montessori cuisenaire rods:



We are preparing for a graduation ceremony to usher Isla on to first grade. This is a big step, and we want to send her into it with confidence and excitement. I think after graduation (which will be early next month) we will concentrate on reading, writing and math, mostly through the games suggested in the Peggy Kaye books "Games for Reading", "Games for Writing" and "Games for Math". It is an ambivalent dance I'm doing, trying not to stress her out or force any learning while also trying to get her up to speed academically so she begins her school year on a positive note in the fall. I am wobbling between a Waldorf method and something more mainstream and with very limited time for lesson planning I am relying on intuitive instruction, for better or worse. My goal for next month is to come back to a rhythm in our home, for everyone's sake.