The Harry Potter Project Continues

 When one of the kids wanted to "make t-shirts" I said, "What do you mean?  Make how?"  Oh!  You want to make things ON a t-shirt!  "Did you find some instructions?"

"No.  I just want to do it."

Got it.  I know just the person to go to -- Amy of Amy Hood Arts!  Her tutorial is terrific!  Quick trips to the supermarket for freezer paper, the craft store for fabric paint and X-acto knives, and we were on our way!

At twelve, the oldest kids could do every step by themselves.
At ten, just a little support with the cutting out.

At six, Linus designed it, I sketched (got the go-ahead) and cut, he ironed and painted.

This project is too good -- we took it on the road!

Harry Potter Summer: Group PBH*

Early in summer we planned to have a couple friends over.  THEY love Harry Potter.  WE love Harry Potter.  "Should we maybe do a couple Harry Potter crafts?" I asked their mom.  So, I pinned a few ideas and said, "Have your girls take a look and see if they like any of these."  Fine, good, they "like" a few, my kids and I go out on a Sunday evening and gather all the supplies (plus yarn in all the house colors -- just in case...)

Sunday night: kids go to sleep, I try to go to sleep but suddenly panic, "What if they don't really want to do the projects, and they were just being polite, and we are all TOTALLY PSYCHED here?!  Oh dear.  What have I set up?"  Fret, fret, fret.

Monday morning.  Our friends arrive.  I play it COOL.  One friend immediately asks Sela, "Do you have the Harry Potter station programmed into Pandora?"  The other friend is wearing her Harry Potter earrings.  We're GOOD.

What started out as "Harry Potter Week" became "Harry Potter Summer."  The kids (and I) took advantage of the time available and our shared interest and completely submerged into JK Rowling's magical world.  One project lead to another and another.  Many of the projects were so thoroughly explored that they lasted for days and sometimes weeks.  They worked together to decide what they wanted to do next.  They inspired each other and learned from each other.  They shared ideas and resources.  It was a true joy to watch and to be a part of.

They learned new skills and cultivated them through repeated practice.  I'm pretty sure they didn't see it this way -- they were just having fun.  The works they created stunned me.

tip of the iceberg

Two of the projects the group wanted to do involved lettering.  And when I realized I would need to be pretty involved in supporting Linus's choices, I noticed I was feeling pretty squirmy about it.  But, (of course), I set to work with him.  Between the canvas quotes and and village signs, I had to roll up my sleeves and get messy (figuratively speaking).  It was so interesting to notice just how anxious I felt at the thought of "lettering." (I mean -- people were going to SEE that I am not an expert.  My shabby work will be just *out there* for everyone to *see*.)  And then to work through it.  And then to discover it wasn't as difficult as I had made it out to be (for yeeeeeaaaarrrrrrs, apparently).  By digging in to the process, I learned so much about learning -- mine and the kids'.

I functioned as the word processor only - never underestimate kids' abilities

I didn't do the projects they did -- I was the support team for four industrious kids.  But, as I have a hard time getting to my bigger projects, I'm content to putter-craft while kids finish meals, when I need a creativity fix, and, you know, while we play Harry Potter word association at mealtimes.  While I already know how to cross-stitch and had stitched up a handful of HP projects ahead of time, I did learn to make (house-color) pom-poms, a house scarf bookmark on plastic canvas, and how to weave a pouch any Gryffindor would be proud to carry her Knuts, Sickles, and Galleons around in.

We shared our favorite parody videos - Dark Lord Funk and Before We Say Goodbye.  They shared this one with us.  They introduced us to Harry Potter Clue.

We're planning to reconvene for our Harry Potter Ornament Making meetings.  I can't wait.


*For more on Group Project-Based Homeschooling, go straight to the source!  Lori has a book, tip sheets, master classes, a blog, and a Facebook group.  She's a wealth of information, ideas, and support -- an invaluable resource, not just for homeschooling families, but for any family.

Camping Hacks: The Results are In

I hate packing.  I'll do pretty much anything to avoid it.
No matter how much I'm looking forward to the trip.

Procrastination: check
House cleaning: check
Highly organized master checklists creation: check

Hmmmm.

CAMPING HACK TRIALS: CHECK

Fire starters - Highly recommend
Easy for kids to make, low prep (save the tubes & lint), easy to pack, effective

Stuff dryer lint into empty cardboard tubes, insert birthday candle.

Spice straws - Highly recommend
Easy to prep (not so much for kids), great size for packing

Use striker/match to melt one end of a straw, pour in spice, melt the other end.

Teeccino bags - Highly recommend
Easy to make, low prep, easy to pack, fast & tidy use, effective -- use two filters next time.
Even mint dental floss wasn't a problem!

Scoop teeccino, coffee substitute, coffee, loose leaf tea, what have you, into doubled coffee filters, tie with dental floss.

Toothpaste dots (not pictured) - interesting to try, but not worth the effort.  To be fair, they were recommended for backpacking, with, I think, the intention being to chew & swallow them.  Easier to pack a tiny tube of toothpaste.

In case you'd like to try them for yourself: squeeze dots of toothpaste onto tray, sprinkle with baking soda, and let dry.

How will I procrastinate next time?!  Please share your camping hacks.

Amigo Summer

Some summers what we really, really need is a break.  I'm sure I've written about this before.  It's a high ranking need.  Quiet repose in our comfy cocoon.  Time to putter and dip into things we don't get to during the rest of the year.  More time to sit.  More time to be still.  More time to notice more.

This was our June.  And it was lovely.

I knew that July would be an uptick in the rhythm.  And then August we would downshift again.

We finished July -- my heart racing a bit at the pace.  Not that I'm unaccustomed to this, though I am changing, changing my ways all the time.  But what I realized in taking stock of summer (as I always do), is that we'd lose the fast pacing, but keep all the extra time we've had with friends this go-round.

It's been the right summer to soak up friends.  Friends we see all year, friends we don't see often, friends we've never met in person!  Fun with friends.  Friends in the back yard with chickens.  Friends in the front yard with the sprinkler and ice cream cones.  Road trip friends.  Picnicking friends.  Friends in living rooms in elaborate games of make-believe.  Friends at dining room tables and craft stores.  Friends downtown.  Friends around campfires and with banana slugs.  Friends on hikes.  Friends on boats, in lakes, and in pools.  Friends in sleeping bags.  Friends with popcorn and movies.

A pretty fine set of arrangements I've finagled, I'd say.

Well it ain't much...

but we call it home.  Or, "tent," or "tipi," or... something. 

 It's that time of year, when schedules relax and days open out ahead of us.  

So, we grabbed the bamboo poles we picked up at the garden center two summers ago (still "tied" together from our last go), spread a blanket under and wrapped a temporary cloth around our frame (a safety pin works fine!).  Perfect reading, snacking, drawing, chatting spot!  We like to set up nearest the plum tree (yum) and the gardenias (mmmm).

And did I say "temporary"?  Three summers may or may not be "temporary."  No matter.  We're not going for perfect, we're going for doing it. 

Summer... of... Mystery

One of our favorite family traditions is summer reading; we gather ideas all year.  Freer summer days mean more time to settle into bed slowly.  And now that we're vacationing in our guest room all summer on a great big fluffy bed -- all the better.  

We kicked it off right with A Long Way from Chicago and then moved on to The Mouse and the Motorcycle and Return to Gone Away.  Sela requested one of her American Girl mysteries, which takes place at summer camp, Mystery at Camp Nokomis.  They both liked the summer-themed mystery so much they requested more, more, more AG mysteries.  And then they deemed it "The Summer of Mystery."

So, since we love Kit, we read Missing Grace and Danger at the Zoo (which I can't say -- or think -- apparently, without adding "dun dun duuuuuun").  And then who could turn down a mystery titled The Hidden Gold, which takes place on a riverboat on the Mississippi?  Now we're about to discover the culprit in The Cry of the Loon.  I thought we were moving on to Molly's Spy on the Home Front or Julie's The Mystery of the Paper Daughter, but Linus has called an audible.  He has just discovered a book called Race for Revenge.  Yep, that's a Speed Racer book, and I'm told it's a mystery.  Oh!  And, I almost forgot -- we are also listening to Dumpling Days -- which is great.

Usually, we go for classics as our summer reads.  I love to soak up those well-crafted stories, steeped in rich language.  But, we were in a bit of an in-between place this summer.  I wasn't ready to re-read some of the gentler summer books we've read, and Linus isn't ready for some that we have on deck (Swiss Family Robinson, Treasure Island).  And that's just fine.  I love that we read together.

(For more of our summer reads, check here, here, and here.)

Lunch! And a Gardening Tip*

Well, my garden has been pretty neglected this year.  They say you can't have it all.  And this season we had a lot -- but none of it was in the garden.  We've traveled, we've relaxed, we've read, we've pursued interests, we've museumed.  Yep.  So far -- it's been a great summer!

Today we woke to overcast and cooooool weather.  HOO-ray.  So, I tackled some weeding & some trimming, and on top of the satisfaction of getting back to the garden, we also got LUNCH!  (I always try to keep marinated fresh mozzarella on hand in the summer.)

It's so cool today -- if I can convince my husband to sweep the back patio, I might just wash off the table and serve dinner out there.  And turn on the oven for cookies.  Blue Ribbon Day. 

Also, please will you send me your favorite recipes for leeks and eggplants?

Oh, I almost forgot that gardening tip* I promised!  
1.  Plant your garden in spring.
2.  Water it a regular amount for a couple of months.
3.  Pretend you don't have a garden.
4.  Go back to the garden that you really do have, use your entire arm to lift the overgrown plants, and scoop up all the snails that are just hanging out in big parties in your garden.  The trick is to let them get lazy, complacent.  They were not expecting to see me.


*Or, maybe just garden responsibly.  Your choice.

On Second Thought...

Believe me when I say that I never, ever (EVER) wanted to go on a "staycation."  NEV-ER.  It's "vacation," but we're "staying"?  Thank you no.  Do not sign me up for that.

Well... time passes.  Things change.  And apparently:  Timing Is Everything.

I am eating my words as we enjoy a fabulous, all-expenses-paid staycation in our guest room.  I am not exaggerating when I say we have barely left the room!  And why would we?  Check out these amenities:

A giant feathery bed (the Westin Heavenly bed has nothin' on us)

Relaxing lavendar sachets & an ample library within arms reach at all times

Fancy finery & linens
(Pets acceptable -- strike that -- encouraged)

Fresh (extremely) local produce (we might have to leave our room to deal with that tomato...)


Classes available 
(I'm currently enrolled in three)

Beginning Quilt Blocks

Knitting 101

Project-Based Homeschooling
Journal Class

Additionally, we have:
:: In-room movies
:: Audiostory library
:: Internet access
:: Foot baths & neck warmers
:: Bedtime stories

Okay -- I'm officially sold.

In Which We Finally Find our Summer Rhythm

I structure our homeschooling life so that we can find a new rhythm in the summer months.  A slower rhythm.  More time to putter. Time to let days unfold.  To read leisurely -- together and separately, for as long as we'd all like.  To play all day.  Let inspiration strike us.  To loll or to dig in.  To really get to choose.

And I've been waiting all summer -- waiting waiting -- for this to kick in.  Doing what I could to nudge it at times -- sometimes with patience, sometimes not.  (Because summers do end.)

I thought starting our summer read-alouds would move it along. But even that didn't do it.

We picked up The House at Pooh Corner (narrated by Peter Dennis) at the library.  We have listened to it no less than twenty times through -- which sounds like it could be torturous.  But, it isn't.  It is lovely and sweet and funny and wise and gentle.  And predictable now.  Pooh and Piglet and Owl and Rabbit and the whole gang are old friends to us.  Listening along has been... meditative.  It's changed the rhythm of our summer.  It's brought us back.  Back to center.  Back to something predictable and gently-moving.

We've gathered our Pooh books from all corners of the house -- these are a few.  More turned up, with flaps to lift, even, and honeypots to scratch.  Each one is perfect.  We've cooked from the cookbook.  I'm dreaming of making stuffies from the craft book.

No one is ever too old for A.A. Milne.



Do Try This at Home, Kids

A few years ago my friend, Steph, taught me to make jam.  She gave me her no-nonsense instructions and a beautiful old-timey pot & directed me on which handy tools to buy (which is part of the fun of having a new hobby, now isn't it?).  I must've eaten at least a jar's worth of apricot jam while cooking that first batch.  Wow.  So good.

And... then my littlest one starting toddling around my legs in the kitchen.  Bubbling preserves (apricot! plum! strawberry! raspberry! what a summer!) started feeling a little dicey.  But, having homemade jam in the house at all times wasn't something we could give up without a fight.

So we started making freezer jam.  What a delicious and easy alternative.  In fact, this batch here -- the only thing I actually did -- was to pour it into jars (because one of my handy gadgets is, eh-hem, misplaced).  Otherwise, the kids could have done this part, too! 

Invest in some basic canning jars if you don't already have 6 miscellaneous boxes in your garage.  For $10 you'll have freezer jam containers, storage for leftovers, a bouquet delivery system, homemade cookie gift packaging, button jars, ...

On the right: what we had in our
pantry.  On the left: what I just
bought.  The key is
"instant" or "no cook."

Here's the low-down:
Stir together sugar & freezer jam pectin (from our local Ace Hardware store) according to package directions.
Mash fruit (fresh, or 3 bags of frozen raspberries -- our year-round, non-heatstroking standby).
Combine.
Pour into jars (I buy freezer jar lids at Ace, too.  $5)
Freeze until you're ready to use.
Eat.  On everything.  Share.  Gift.  Take pictures of jammy smiles.

home with heART

"Gold Day" at the museum

We're changing gears here, switching over from "summer" to "fall."  Because we take our time with most everything, it's a gradual process.  In the transition, I'm thinking about how we spent the summer.  And, you know, it was really, really lovely.  I think I always have a vision of what I want from summer.  I don't know that a lot of the pieces of that vision generally come to pass.  And -- that's really okay.  Each summer has a different flavor with different highlights.  But this year, I guess the stars were just aligned.  It was slow-paced (which I craved), but we did some things that were, well, just what our souls needed.  Book-ended by special trips, with camping in the middle, and all that glorious summer-themed reading I mentioned -- we also got art-y!

Our local museum threw open it's doors to families -- with a fascinating variety of entertainment, art & play activities, and featured art to make exploring the galleries just the right size for us.  It became our cherished weekly ritual.  And though I hadn't intended it, it gave our summer routine its' shape.

And, it made me more mindful to pull out (& keep out) art supplies again.  When Sela was small, there was a permanent art & writing area set up.  But as she grew, she outgrew this specific arrangement and things got put away -- because she would just get things out when she wanted them & we'd put them back into baskets, drawers, counters and cupboards when she was done.  And, for the materials that stayed out, it got to be that the legs of her tables and desks grew taller and taller (like the little table in Alice in Wonderland!).  Suddenly I realized that everything was up too high for Little Linus.

So, I'm trying to notice where I can shrink the legs on things again. And create these same fruitful areas for exploration for him -- so they're ready and waiting whenever it strikes him to draw or write or paint or cut or glue or squish or sticker or ...

Q-tips ("tiptoes," he calls them -- I love that he doesn't pause when he can't remember a word exactly, he just lets the closest thing he's heard come out and moves on) are very fun for little ones to paint with.  What else do I have lying around that we can use?  Marbles, toy car wheels, vegetables, packing bubbles, foam trays, the ends of cardboard tubes...

One project led to another -- all summer long.  We were inspired by Art & Max (if you haven't read, you really must), and we made string art one morning, using embroidery floss and a plate of glue.  Splatter painting was the follow-up request...

Sela and I participated in a local art center's community project.  We did our painting together, which was so much fun for me to share with her.  Our panel went up with over one hundred others to complete one large installation.

The kids picked up free canvases from our art store and the returned art was displayed in the store window.  We went by to check out our resident artist's "show" -- what a thrill!  (Linus decided to "only hang [his] at home.")

Do you have a local art scene?  I loved connecting with ours this summer!

This was our art haul from any given Friday,
from car to kitchen.

 

 

Lessons from My Garden: Surprise!

Between late planting, first tries, and weird weather -- this plant was an interesting, albeit unproductive, part of the garden this year.

Until now!

What will I make... ?  (I really do love this part, too.)

Going out to the garden is fun again -- so much color and change every few days.  Better late than never, I always say.

Lessons from My Garden: Patience

  What a treat for Linus's little hands, mouth & tummy!  I am HAPPY.

How to Read & Get Where You're Goin'

Our summer reading is going so well! I'm not saying this to be braggy (as our friend says) - I'm saying this with great surprise!

To be clear, I've read very little -- but we've listened to a large handful of the books from our pie-in-the-sky summer reading list.  (We've never made a list before; that was an inspired whim that somehow has taken shape!)

So far, we've enjoyed: Thimble Summer, The Would-Be-Goods, Five Children and It, and now we're on to Swallows and Amazons. 

I, for one, am loving it.  I believe both kids are, too.  Sela asks the moment we get into the car.  Linus rarely asks for something else, although he does sometimes ask for a Raffi song by singing it (which melts my heart - tiny little voices singing song lyrics is pure, sweet magic).

We've bitten off quite a large one, this time. (Gasp!)  I hope this won't mean it's the last of our summer 2012 books!

And boy, I thought I was quite clever combining Swallows & Amazons with Mr. Putter and Tabby Row the Boat and a day trip up to paddle around on the lake.  Well -- we didn't quite make it all the way to the lake, but it was a fun idea.  In any case, the books are great, and summer's not over yet...

What's on the Menu?

Cool weather & time, glorious time led us to an impromptu Cooking Camp at our house this week.

It was nothing fancy, but there was no rushing, and we made it up as we went along -- so it fit easily with anything else we had going on.

The number one (unspoken) rule for me was:

Enjoy our time in the kitchen together.

Cooking Camp wasn't on a checklist; it was just one of life's lovely little bonuses that I had time to notice because we slooooowed down.

"What should we make?"

"Apple pie & peanut butter cookies!"

Ok!

We added some other dishes, too, as time and supplies on hand allowed.

Linus "smashing to smithereens" the
peaches for peach crisp.
The kitchen is another place we can all
add our own unique flavor to our family life.

Making Banana Coins meant both kids
learning to use a new kitchen tool.

Sela asked to make apple pie and did more of the work
on it than I did.  Even the "star" vents were her vision.
Fruit pies are fantastic family cooking projects. 
Surprisingly simple to make & truly delightful to eat!

Reminds me of one of my favorite quotes about
healthy eating.
"What would you like on your salad?"
"Pie."  - Drew Carey

And, our meals were more interesting this week
(considering many of them had fruit in them, why
reserve them for dessert only?)

Banana Coins
Crush graham crackers in a small ziplock.
Add equal part ground flaxseed meal & mix.
Add sliced bananas & shake to coat.
Practice with your tongs to remove : )

Breakfast Popsicles
Stir together 2/3 cup vanilla yogurt & 1/3 cup (thick) orange juice.
Pour into popsicle molds & freeze.

those summer nights

fresh veggies on the counter
kids at table working on project
doors open with a slight breeze
math nathanson radio on Pandora
talk of what we did today

roasted sweet peppers
3-4 sweet peppers, cored & sliced (these are gypsy)
1 clove garlic, minced
a teaspoon of your favorite cooking herb (I didn't have any, skipped it & it was still great)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

preheat oven to 425 degrees.
toss peppers, garlic, herb & olive oil together.
season peppers with salt & pepper.
cook peppers on baking sheet for about 5 minutes (peppers are soft, not charred).
sprinkle parmesan on top & let melt for one more minute.
drizzle with lemon juice & serve.


from the fields, farm fresh to you, june 11-15, 2012

Lessons from My Garden: Pruning

I am not good at pruning.  It does not come naturally to me.
We don't have 3 or 4 strands of dress-up beads.  We have 35.
We don't have 5 or 6 balls.  We have 20.  No, 30.
The garage is overflowing.  We've never parked a car in there.
We will never own enough book shelves for all of our books.
And, many of our plants are unwieldy.

In the spring, when everything in the garden really took off, as they do at this time of year, I realized that, yes, the plum tree (newly planted a couple years back) could obviously use a pruning.  It's a young tree, and the small handful of branches that would need pruning were obvious and somewhat straightforward, even to me.  I felt okay about having learned this lesson with enough concrete, observable information.  And on this young tree, I felt I could figure out how and where to trim the few branches in question.

And then, fruit began to grow on these loooooong limbs.  A lot of fruit!  Fruit adds weight.  Hmmm.

J suggested propping them in some way.  Good idea.  Prop for now to save the fruit, prune at first chance, after we've devoured all the delicious fruit.

Well, as fruit grows, it gets... heavier, yes, heavier.
My propping was no match & those limbs busted loose, arching right down to the ground.
And, I found this.

But, it looks like there's still enough of the branch intact to continue to nourish the fruit.  Fingers crossed this branch, as well as the others, will make it a few more weeks.

Lesson #1:
It is a good idea to learn to prune.

Lesson #2:
Unpruned tree branches make really nice fairy houses, where really nice play happens.

Summer Reads

We MUST skate right now.

One of the books on cd we brought along on our first road trip was Then There Were Five by Elizabeth Enright. It’s part of the Melendy series, that begins with The Saturdays. This is a very sweet series.  (There is some drama; all kids are different in their comfort level with this.  We are on the more "careful" side of things, and it still works for us.  Just wanted you to know.)


We didn't get to finish it in the car -- Linus got bored.  He prefers the action of Geronimo Stilton.  Ugh (well, only a little, I guess).  So, we finished it when we got home.  It takes place in one summer, and both the author and narrator create                                                                                                     a beautiful flavor of summer.

The first chapter is my favorite, and it starts like this,

"What a noise that day!  It sounded like a pack of young sea lions. 

But it was really only the Melendy children.  They were building a dam. 

Rush had thought of it.  He had thought of it in the middle of the night in a dream, and this morning at breakfast he had told them about it. 

'Listen, kids,' he'd said.  'I've been thinking for a long time that we needed a bigger swimming place.  The one we've got now is too little; when we're all in it together the congestion is fierce.  And it's too shallow.  Every time I dive off the bank I'm scared I'll come up with a concussion of the brain.'

'Well, what are you planning to do?' inquired Mona with a tinge of sarcasm. 'Widen the brook, or deepen it, or something?'

'Exactly, my dear Watson,' replied Rush with a flourish of toast."

Stranded on a Rock (under the dining room table)

That hit the nail right on the head for me.  I'm planning to spend the summer reading and listening to books that spin stories about the deliciousness of summer -- and creating space for my kids to experience it.  Do you remember this?  Where you follow your interest all day long, where one activity develops into the next, where you barely look up because you're so engrossed in the game you've created?  Where you've got one "light-bulb" idea after another -- that simply has to be tried right now?!

Here are some more summer chapter books that the kids and I will explore in the coming months -
Thimble Summer by Elizabeth Enright
Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright
Half-Magic by Edward Eager
Magic by the Lake by Edward Eager
Magic or Not? by Edward Eager
Five Children and It by Edith Nesbit
Pinky Pye by Eleanor Estes
A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
 

Full disclosure: I haven't read these.  Some I've browsed, some I haven't.  Maybe some of them aren't even about summer!  I think they are : )

Please, please leave a comment and share your favorite summer books with us so that we can add them to the list!