Poetry. I wish that I had poetry in me tonight. The moon swells and with it swells my spirit, but it feels like there are no words. The window at the stair landing looks out over the pasture where the full moon rises – we stop there and gaze in silence, and then I tuck […]
The Earth Is Alive
We have had two weeks of sickness around here, and just when I thought we were getting well, it came back to invade my lungs and Grace’s ears. No sleep. I am so, so, so, so tired. Nevertheless, yesterday dawned warm and sunny and in hopes of the car motion lulling Grace into a nap, I took the […]
Nature Study–it’s for the parents, too
I love to be out of doors with my kids. I really do. For going on eleven years now, escaping the four walls of our home with its plethora of Things has been a mainstay of my sanity. I like to hike with my kids, I like to sit on rocks and feel sunlight with my kids, I like to […]
Sand: thoughts on change and how we grow
To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour. – William Blake My heart has been broken a dozen times this evening; broken, restored, broken again. The heavy things of life laid anchor, pulling my self-ship to […]
Nature Study
Dear Grandma and Grandpa, I have been having a good week. How has your week been doing? Although, it has been a really hard week with school and today I did not have much to do of school work but we played outside for a long while. We went to the Wildlife Refuge and, […]
The Writer Climbing
We hiked our favorite trail today before the sun arched high in the sky, and I remembered a hike we’d taken when Eddie was still an infant. It had felt like such a milestone then, to be out there on my own with five children. Now there are six, and somehow six seems easier than five. Today I had […]
Skinny Dipping
The week is looking to be a hot one, and a quick glance at the triple digits had us out the door in a scurry this morning, in hopes of enjoying the wildlife refuge before the sun rose too high. On the drive over we decided against all our usual haunts, and instead selected to […]
Pictures from Nature Study
The last few weeks have been busy with very little time for words, but I have kept the camera handy. Here are a four of our favorite pictures from our last three weeks of Nature Study.
Homeschooling: Nature Study
One of the cornerstones to a Charlotte Mason-inspired homeschool is the practice of Nature Study. Access to the outdoors is emphasized from the earliest age, with it being recommended that young children spend 4-6 hours outside a day, weather permitting! Most of the child’s time out of doors is expected to be spent in free […]