The Thankful Tree

Long ago, we visited Canada for an old friend's wedding.  Our host family had a lovely little Thankful Tree posted near the supper table.  Since we spent several days there, we loved getting on board with their moments of gratitude.  Written on each leaf were things like "my dog" or "Timbits," the Canadian equivalent of Munchkins!  

I was delighted with the idea and so were the Blossoms!  

This year, I printed off some cute free printable scrapbook paper and Blossom4 and I started working on the pieces.  She was intrigued.  We've done our own version a few times throughout the years, but I didn't realize how long it's been until she asked me, 

"What's a Thankful Tree?"

We hang a tree trunk somewhere near our kitchen table and each evening, each family member writes one thing they're thankful for on a paper leaf.  

I love that sometimes it's light-hearted, small things and sometimes it's deeper, bigger things.  

After a few weeks, we will have a full tree of beautiful things and we will have revelled in small moments of gratitude together all month long!

Dominique

PS - The antique wicked-looking redneck self defense device hanging in this picture is actually the tool my grandmother used to mash potatoes for her family of twelve.  It reminds me that love and hard work can go hand in hand.  

A Tuesday Rest

Wednesday: Art lessons, errands, school, school, school

Thursday: Packing food boxes with friends, meeting with the queen, catching up at home

Friday: Getting wood in the woods, heading out to go shopping and hang out with my sister, while the rest of the crew held down the fort at home

Saturday: Two more loads of wood from the woods, head into town to look at vehicles, submit huge application for the queen

Sunday: Church, cat nap, fair membership meeting so I could do my fair duty, catching up with folks over the phone, planning for the week

Monday: Stressful paperwork with one of the Blossoms, prepare for Bible Study, usual school, school, school, Bible Study, Bible Quiz practice, prepare for Big Tuesday

Tuesday: Blossom1's big teacher test, Blossom2's 3 big presentations at a local school, picked up Younger Blossoms from Grandma's, so glad I already voted...

And, wow.  We're finally home.  I could've pushed for more schoolwork.  

Let's just get more done.  Let's hit this hard this afternoon...

Nope.  

It's time to rest.  It's time for a breather.  It's time to take a deep breath and slow down.  

I realize that doesn't follow the traditional school routine but we can do this because I'm in charge of their education.  I carefully facilitate the family life rhythm here.  We didn't need more schoolwork.  We needed to embrace the down time... finally.

Blossom3 queried, "Mom, do you wanna do some watercolor with me?"  

PERFECT.

We chatted.  We rested.

We embraced the sweet moments and it was so good.

Dominique

This is Your Frosty Morning Reminder

These frosty mornings have me thinking about cold weather preparation!  This is your friendly mama reminder that it's time to prepare for winter driving:

Gather:

~ a hat and gloves for each member of the family

~ a blanket or two

~a windshield scraper

This goes in every vehicle on our property.  With having young drivers, it's important that they know how vital it is to be prepared for cold weather.

Being that we have four drivers who often have multiple sisters along, this is A LOT of hats and gloves!  Swing by Dollar Tree and stock up on plain hats and simple gloves.  Their sweater-like gloves and knit hats work really well for this and they last from year to year!

You probably think - well, it makes more sense for people to just grab their hats and gloves before they leave the house.  That's less you need to own.  Yes, I agree, it is.  However, from experience, that's what gets forgotten when we're walking out the door.  We really rely on keeping these things in our vehicles.

Also, during this season, the Blossoms are never allowed to leave the house without a winter coat.  NEVER.  Even if we load in the garage, they MUST have a winter coat with them.  Even if they dart from the house to a car, they MUST have a winter coat with them.  I'll never forget the story of a local teen who drove a back road in a hoodie on a winter night and died when his car broke down.  Based on the story, a winter coat and a hat would've vastly improved his chances of survival.

Since we do a lot of driving on PA back roads, it's wise to be prepared for cold weather scenarios.  

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Before we head out on snowy roads, I do usually throw in a snow shovel too.  I'm still working on investing in enough shovels to keep in the vehicles.

Dominique

Sick Day School

One of the beauties of homeschooling is being able to do school when your kids are sick.  I'm not talking about when they're miserable, when just want/need to sleep or when they're throwing up every five minutes. Moreso, I'm referring to when they're feeling icky and are just not up to a full load of bookwork.  There is still so much education that can be accomplished in this stage!  

                                            

Today I'm sharing the Sick Day School repertoire I have relied on over the years:

#1 Reading:
This seems obvious but we always have books that we are reading, books that need to be read, or books that round out a topic we're studying.  I'm always here for good recreational reading too.  Reading comprehension skills benefit students their whole life long!  Bring on the sustained silent reading!  Bring on the browsing through interesting books!

#2 Audio Books:
I rely heavily on audio books when the Blossoms don't feel well.  It's the perfect time to bust out an appetizing book that I've been wanting them to read.  When Blossom3 had a concussion several years ago, she absorbed so many excellent works through audio books.  She had a regular diet of solid literature!  We accomplished so much when she was severely restricted in what she could do!  Audio books do not have to be expensive.  In fact, you'd be amazed at how many audio books are available free on YouTube.  Additionally, the Kindle Text to Speech feature and the Libby app make audio books accessible for all budgets. Sometimes I pick a book from their book list.  Sometimes I ask what they're in the mood to hear.  Sometimes I make suggestions.  Audio books are our friends!

#3 Documentaries and Educational Shows/Shorts:
What a fabulous way to expand on a current topic of study or venture into something you or your child have always want to research!  Documentaries and education shows or shorts are one of the quickest way to learn while lying on the couch!  YouTube is full of such things, for FREE!!!

#4 Narration:
This is a multi-faceted tool.  Sometimes we have a journal entry, composition, or story that needs to be written.  I grab a laptop and have them narrate those works to me.  Additionally, narration is a powerful tool for students to process what they are learning.  I like to have the Blossoms tell me what they learned while listening, watching, or reading.  

#5 Flashcard Apps or Math Games:
Simple math is another great way to get some skill-sharpening in when they're not up for the usual load of bookwork.  I like to keep it to short bursts, but when they spend a few minutes on these, it's helpful long-term!

#6 Handcrafts and Small Brain-Stimulating Games:
Crocheting, painting, friendship bracelets, coloring, tangrams, magnets, and any other sort of small brain-stretching games are great choices for those not feeling well.  I don't expect long attention spans with these during sick day school.  I've just found that hours of TV make the Blossoms feel worse.  Short bursts of good activities interspersed with rest seem to help much more in the long run.  I don't push; I make them available.  I might grab a fresh glass of water and bring a few of these activities over to them.  I don't mind when the activity eventually falls to the wayside and they drift off to sleep.  

Ultimately, I want the girls to rest when they don't feel well, so I'm always shooting for a good balance.  When I lie around, I just feel worse.  When my mind is occupied and I have the opportunity to rest whenever needed, I recover more quickly!  

I hope our Sick Day School repertoire helps you navigate those in between days of sickness!

Dominique

PS - I couldn't resist all the animal pics.  We do lots of animal time when folks aren't feeling well here.  

From Strife to Quietness

The other day I read, 

"Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it, 
than a house full of feasting with strife."

The contrast of quietness and strife struck me.  It's verse 1 in Proverbs 17 and I got no further, as I furiously scribbled down what the Word has to say about quietness.

You don't need to have a lot, to have a lot.

If you have quietness, you have a lot.

Quietness is valuable.  It's the outflow from the peace in my heart to those around me.  It's the Lord's quiet work of the Spirit in my heart, overflowing into real fruit in my family dealings.

Quietness is a blessing.  

A real, in-the-trenches, speaking kind words 

even when I'm frustrated and gritting-my-teeth kind of blessing.  

A gracious words are sweet to the soul kind of blessing.  

Quietness is the opposite of strife.  

It's the choosing to prefer you over me, instead of demanding my own way.

It's choosing to serve when I just don't feel like it.

And so, I ask myself, "In all my dealings with my family, am I feeding strife?  

Am I exacerbating strife?"

A quiet spirit is an imperishable quality, a quality that has eternal value.  

Quietness is something we don't naturally tend to value here in this life.

Quietness is precious to God.  It is disdained in our culture, even mocked today.

The work of righteousness is peace; the effect of righteousness is quietness...

This is the effect I will continue to see in my own life:

quietness.  

Quietness is what He's working in me.

Dominique

Proverbs 17:1

1 Peter 3:4

Isaiah 32:17

Pics from the vacation in the Wild Area around our cabin.

October Nuggets

 "I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers."

L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Look across the table and smile.  

Breathe a sigh of gratitude when you're dishing up the plates at supper.

Say yes when they want to go for a walk together.

Look up and really listen when they're chatting about the "little" things.

Revel in the reds and the yellows around us.

Write a prayer and wait in the moment to lift up your heart.

Burrow down in your hoodie and savor the autumn air.

Smile for more than a hot second.

Grab a hand, touch a shoulder, tweak a nose.

Throw something appley in the oven just because.

The Lord seems to be using the splendor of the season to lead me in gratitude and joy.

Dominique

The Anne Tea

Several months ago, I referenced Davy Keith in a conversation and my Younger Blossoms didn't know who I was talking about.  He's one of the twins whom Marilla later adopts in the Anne books, by L.M. Montgomery. 

"I've failed as a mother!" I wailed.

And then we dove into reading Anne of Green Gables aloud, because we must start at the beginning and we must hear of all Anne's adventures from the books where it all began.  

The Anne books are all long and that's a bit daunting to me when reading aloud, but we enjoyed a chapter a day during lunch clean-up.  These books are still as fun and heart-warming as ever.  The entire series is one of the most well-worn series on our bookshelves.  

About a month ago, we finally finished reading Anne of Green Gables aloud and a little idea sprouted.

"Let's have an Anne Tea Party!"

Eight young ladies stopped over in Anne-era shawls, brooches, and calicoes.  

Although Blossom2 is very busy with her college work, she couldn't resist this opportunity!  She baked Raspberry Tarts, Pumpkin Biscuits, Mini Victoria Sponge, and Tea Cakes.  Blossom3 and Blossom4 pitched in pulling together flower arrangements, dusting off the china and silver, tidying up, and digging through the dress-up for Green Gables appropriate dress.  All was done very properly according to the tastes of Anne with an E.  Tea was sipped, cakes were sampled, and smiles prevailed.

and then the girls went outside in the autumn air and played football.  

More Signs of Fall

Blossom3 and Blossom4 decorated their shelves in all their autumn artwork.  

They've amassed quite a collection!

I built these shelves out of the ends of old pallets for this precise reason.  I wanted to Blossom3 especially to be able to switch out and display her artwork on her own.

Meanwhile, I updated the mantle in the living room.  I don't spend a lot of time decorating but snagging some pretty things from the box in the basement and my stash in the cupboard takes about 5 minutes or less.  I'm not ashamed to reuse some of the same pieces year after year.

It's so good to bring beauty into our home and encourage ourselves to celebrate good things!

Over the years, I've found that embracing the seasons is a good and practical way for me to 

"smile at the days ahead."

"Happy Fall, Y'all!"

Dominique

Rabbits for Fun Things

Sometimes we use our rabbits for extra fun things...

Like Sunset Milkshakes!  

Blossom4 and Weston won the Cutest division of our Dress Up Your Fair Animal contest this year!  

It tickled me that she came up with this idea and executed it all on her own.  

(Thankfully, Weston mostly behaved himself for the contest.)

Dominique

School, but in a Different Place

Sometimes it's fun to change it up a little bit.  Variety is the spice of life, after all.

We drove to Blossom2's place of work, to surprise her for her birthday.

An added benefit is that we decided to spread out and enjoy our coffee, chai, and goodies over a little schoolwork.  Why rush off?

It helps that the atmosphere is peaceful and soul-filling there.

The younger Blossoms settled in beyond the novelty of it and got right to work.  

Maybe they felt grown up.

Blossom1, of course, had no trouble.  Coffee shops are her vibe and studying is her game.

Blossom2 popped over whenever she had a break to taste our goodies

and snap silly selfies with her sisters.  

Her boss is one of three girls.  I'm pretty sure she was back in the kitchen grinning at the sister fun.

I helped the younger Blossoms periodically, but also delved into Know and Tell, an excellent book about having your children narrate back to you what they have read and learned.  It's a sort of verbal processing that I find logical and fascinating.

I was astonished at the amount of work the younger Blossoms were able to accomplish.  It seems they embraced the treat, but settled into the work.  

(We were wise and chose work that was most conducive with a coffee shop environment.)  

We left feeling accomplished, refreshed, and together.

I think that someday, these are the little things they will remember.

Dominique

A Deep Breath

In the morning, when I rise,

give me Jesus.

Squeeeeeeeeeeze It In

It seems that family time is about making the most of the little opportunities that present themselves.  Yes, making sure there is margin enough for those opportunities to be able to present themselves is surely important too.  

Daylight fades earlier and earlier this time of year.  On those evenings when a Blossom pipes up, "Hey, can we all go on a walk?"

We say, "Yes!" even though the dishes will need to be done after darkness falls... 
or some other such task will need to be moved around... 
or something else can be delayed for a bit.

And some of us lag behind and some of us speed ahead, but there's time for the conversation and laughter to happen.

Some of the best family times are the in-between times, 

the squeezed-in times, 

the normal times, 

the every day times that we scoop up and hold on to.

So, I will keep my eyes open for those opportunities and make the most of saying, "YES!"

The (Non) Waterfall Hike

Over Labor Day, this mama wanted to take a hike.  My favorite kind of hikes are those that lead to waterfalls or something scenic.

I hiked Jacoby Falls ages ago with a good friend of mine.  It was one of those rare mama outings that memorably lives on for a variety of reasons.  

Blossom1 pointed out that she researched this hike before and heard that flow can be hit or miss.  

However, I argued that we've had tons of rain, so it should be fine, right?

Besides, this is 1.6 miles.  It's an easy hike and it's beautiful one way or the other.  After a very busy and hard-working weekend, we're certain this is the hike for this weekend!  

Plus, there is the promise of local creamery ice cream afterward.  

Beginning with a long and charming boardwalk over a marsh isn't a bad way to start either.

We even saw a little bit of wildlife ~ a tiny, feisty snake that would quake at the sight of an earthworm.  

The younger three Blossoms charged ahead with Binney.  They were off and running straight off the boardwalk so fast that I wondered if they realized they were following the yellow blazes.  The Rugged Mountain Man reminded me that we have taught them a lot about navigating in the woods through the years.  He was right.  They were fine.  

Henceforth, though, I will give instructions while we are still in the truck.  Once those doors open into the Great Outdoors, they are like kids in a candy store.

We arrived to this beautiful stone bowl to their matter-of-fact announcements, "There's no water."  

They didn't seemed bummed; the geology is still really, really cool.  

A massive stone bowl between two mountains?!!!!

Blossom4 scampered about like the mountain goat she is with Miss Bianca.

And Miss Bianca eventually treed a porcupine... thankfully, without having tasted it first.

The promise of local creamery ice cream may have caused a bit of skipping down the boardwalk.  This mama isn't the only ice cream connoisseur in the family.

I turned around one last time to admire my autumn field favorite - goldenrod...

... and to reflect, 

these truly are the special times.

Dominique