tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78768939464243652942024-03-13T11:42:12.305-07:00Ancient HearthJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272157134061700589noreply@blogger.comBlogger292125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876893946424365294.post-78802314207493316942014-04-06T13:38:00.001-07:002014-04-06T13:38:57.154-07:00And the Winner of the Sun Maiden Wool Painting is.......<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_5xWjxq4fwozZ0DM7nqYrGBi7ey6QMVQ7QaalsISZCQEQtkcqvpiqwBYLkY7lyE50LzLSWbvhrKHYk1D2wl4bARD-y4ONItCAIJumlq2v8YSU1xogRQpJAo3XkERID8tjFNnnu4H_fg/s1600/pizap.com13962253409313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_5xWjxq4fwozZ0DM7nqYrGBi7ey6QMVQ7QaalsISZCQEQtkcqvpiqwBYLkY7lyE50LzLSWbvhrKHYk1D2wl4bARD-y4ONItCAIJumlq2v8YSU1xogRQpJAo3XkERID8tjFNnnu4H_fg/s1600/pizap.com13962253409313.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
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<strong>Megan</strong> who said: <br />
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<em>I love that Waldorf schooling embraces the
whole child. Beautiful spring wall hanging!</em></div>
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Congratulations Megan! Your name was pulled from a jar and you have won! :) </div>
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Please send me your address (you may email it privately to <a href="mailto:farley98@earthlink.net">farley98@earthlink.net</a>) and I will pop your Sun Maiden Wool Painting in the mail this week. </div>
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Thank you to everyone who entered and have a wonderful spring! </div>
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272157134061700589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876893946424365294.post-76718544992162876542014-03-30T17:30:00.000-07:002014-03-30T17:32:09.721-07:00Giveaway: Sun Maiden Breathes Life into Spring<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprYVFFDZg9ojELvhonULOZBtF662UZa3t6LafvX0fHIQi-0VSAI4AAKVp2eI00663P1BGRjKxu9Z3p-HQf8sQnDu0eu0lpsdwQEG__JPWtkTa2efwSp1-lyg4GFD8_p-MutevKUBuGN0/s1600/pizap.com13962242149275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprYVFFDZg9ojELvhonULOZBtF662UZa3t6LafvX0fHIQi-0VSAI4AAKVp2eI00663P1BGRjKxu9Z3p-HQf8sQnDu0eu0lpsdwQEG__JPWtkTa2efwSp1-lyg4GFD8_p-MutevKUBuGN0/s1600/pizap.com13962242149275.jpg" height="400" width="340" /></a></div>
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To celebrate spring and the milestone of over 300 followers to Ancient Hearth, I wanted to give away a beautiful Waldorf inspired wall hanging. Handmade using wool roving and lovingly needle felted by me, this hanging is approximately 9" x 12" and can be hung on a wall using the hemp twine attached to it. Would make a lovely addition to a bedroom, school room, or class room.<br />
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The Sun Maiden holds a bouquet of spring flowers as she travels through the meadows bringing light and life to the land. A nest of three eggs sits above her head in the tree as wispy clouds drift by and the gentle breeze blows.<br />
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To be entered into this giveaway, please leave a comment that you'd like to be entered, along with what you love most about Waldorf schooling, lifestyle, or philosophy! Doesn't have to be long, just interested in seeing what drew you to Waldorf or to this blog. If you share this on your blog, please let me know - along with a link to your blog, and I'll enter you a second time!<br />
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A lucky winner will be chosen within a week and the winner will be announced next Sunday! Good luck and blessings to all!<br />
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Love and light!</div>
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~ Jen</div>
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272157134061700589noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876893946424365294.post-91508512912169452172014-03-24T15:12:00.002-07:002014-03-24T15:12:26.166-07:00Happy Spring!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can't believe spring is already here! My husband recently put up a few shelves in our school room so I could display some of our beloved wooden figures and needle felted treasures. It helps with our rhythm.</div>
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I have so missed blogging, feeling sad that I haven't much time anymore to capture our days and share them with others, but I did go through today and saw about 50 comments left through the years that I hadn't seen and got around to publishing them today. I wanted to thank each and every one of you who reached out and commented on a post I had done. It really meant the world to me - like little hugs across the miles :) </div>
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It is so nice to find like-minded friends and others with the passion to nurture and prioritize the health and development of our children. Sharing helps others and reaching out to receive inspiration or to inspire others, in turn, helps so many children. I know I have been so motivated and enlightened by so many amazing mothers, fathers, teachers, and friends out there through the years who took the time to share.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNsuvBDRmrf74I8ERnYwNYjwAFxdGpd2rIR5q8oK_9vyJ1LjJ3dPsv9tc9G80XHM6opwSOBCWPK7PdrRjJB5mhrR0vKggeYAIA4wLSmxvj22FvOxuwu4hdKDGj5RNY1038PrR3Of6Y2o/s1600/pizap.com13956230319996.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNsuvBDRmrf74I8ERnYwNYjwAFxdGpd2rIR5q8oK_9vyJ1LjJ3dPsv9tc9G80XHM6opwSOBCWPK7PdrRjJB5mhrR0vKggeYAIA4wLSmxvj22FvOxuwu4hdKDGj5RNY1038PrR3Of6Y2o/s1600/pizap.com13956230319996.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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So today, I want to honor all of you and in the spirit of giving, I am going to be making something today to give away as a token of thanks this week! I don't have any plans yet just *what* to make - other than something needle-felted as that is a beloved passion of mine...so stay tuned and enjoy the life that is blooming right under our noses!</div>
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Blessings and light to all my friends and readers! </div>
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xoxo</div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272157134061700589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876893946424365294.post-51525490423756921842014-02-06T16:31:00.000-08:002014-02-06T16:31:58.807-08:00A few photos from our Block on the Norse Myths...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of our favorite blocks from Grade 4 was the Norse Mythology Block.</div>
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There are a lot of wonderful blogs and websites to help inspire creativity, but my favorite books are listed below. Padraic Colum's book is a fine read to fluff out more details for when you are telling one of the myths to your child. But for drawing inspiration, the D’Auelaires book was fantastic!</div>
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Here are some of my chalk drawings. I have yet to find the other stories we did - they are buried in my photo log somewhere - but here is something to get you started! I used the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24655.D_Aulaires_Book_of_Norse_Myths" target="_blank">D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths</a> for the drawings. They are just stunning and even more so when you get them on the chalkboard. The cover world is a nice starting point before you being the tales so you and your child can familiarize yourselves for further enjoyment.<br />
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Here is from Yggdrasil, the World Tree...</div>
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Some wonderful more thorough coverage of this block can be found at these links:</div>
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Waldorf Homeschoolers: <a href="http://www.waldorfhomeschoolers.com/norse-myths">http://www.waldorfhomeschoolers.com/norse-myths</a></div>
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Sure as the World: <a href="http://sureastheworld.com/2012/04/11/norse-mythology-block-2/">http://sureastheworld.com/2012/04/11/norse-mythology-block-2/</a></div>
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Homeschooling Waldorf has some beautiful wet on wet watercolor paintings that may inspire you: <a href="http://homeschoolingwaldorf.wordpress.com/2011/04/28/watercolor-painting/">http://homeschoolingwaldorf.wordpress.com/2011/04/28/watercolor-painting/</a></div>
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Sorry I have such little time as of late to showcase more of what we are doing, but I am happy if you can find even a little inspiration from our journey! </div>
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272157134061700589noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876893946424365294.post-3899584484526985482013-12-01T16:56:00.000-08:002013-12-01T16:56:16.216-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Advent has arrived! For those who celebrate this religious tradition, Waldorf has found a lovely way to tie it into the earth, as well. We begin with the Light of Stones...</div>
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Carrie from <a href="http://theparentingpassageway.com/" target="_blank">The Parenting Passageway</a> wrote a beautiful and detailed post on the first week of Advent in relation to Waldorf and how she and her family celebrate. It can be seen <a href="http://theparentingpassageway.com/2010/11/24/ideas-for-the-first-week-of-advent-in-the-waldorf-home/" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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In our family, we make our own Advent wreath from branches in our yard, pine cones we have collected, acorn caps, and this year, we rolled red holly balls from our wool roving. My daughters, who are now 10 years old (OMG) made the wreath this year with minimal help from Mom :)</div>
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Several years ago, I created a basic tutorial, which can be seen <a href="http://ancienthearth2.blogspot.com/2009/11/advent-celebrations-begin.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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The twins tied the branches to the frame with twine.</div>
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I got out some special gifts from nature we have collected through the years...</div>
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From our lovely Oak tree in the front of our home...</div>
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And pine cones from a park near our house...</div>
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Laney got to use the hot glue gun and glued the acorn caps to the branches...</div>
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She glued the wool balls and I tied red ribbons on our candle holders this year...</div>
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We begin with a story from one of my favorite books, <em><a href="http://www.steinercollege.edu/store/product.php?productid=17790&cat=1140&page=1" target="_blank">Christmas Roses: Legends for Advent</a></em>...</div>
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Light our candle with a prayer...</div>
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And meditate on our blessings...</div>
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The Advent Wreath helps us focus and center on family, reminds us to slow down and come inward again to replenish, to heal, and to rest.</div>
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I found some beautiful verses that I enjoyed very much from Sandi at The Sun with Loving Light...blog <a href="http://chakralight.blogspot.com/2010/12/some-advent-verses.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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Blessings and Light to you all as you begin this Advent journey!</div>
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272157134061700589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876893946424365294.post-63408737725813831872013-12-01T15:56:00.000-08:002013-12-01T15:56:05.931-08:00Leaving November behind...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<em><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Golden Sun is going down to seek his winter throne.</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Far and wide the seeds now sleep my garden is alone;</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">When all around is dark and still within the winter night.</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">The sun will rise within my heart and shine a warmer light.</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">~ M. Meyerkort</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">from the <u><a href="http://www.greenmountainorganics.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=444" target="_blank">Autumn</a></u> book by Wynstones Press</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">A glimpse of our schoolroom...just before the autumn fairies carried the seed babies away...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Hello my friends - I have missed posting and have much I hope to share with you all from this past year. I also have messages I still have to go through and appreciate everyone's patience. Life has been so busy that I had to prioritize things other than updating this blog. Now that December is here, we slow down and focus on the magic of this special time, so my hope is to post more and get caught up. Blessings and love to all of you!</span>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272157134061700589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876893946424365294.post-42497196905780270862013-03-24T09:23:00.000-07:002013-03-24T09:23:34.381-07:00Happy Spring!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Down in the earth in their dark winter bed</div>
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Someone is calling, the crocus said</div>
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In colours bright they quickly dressed,</div>
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In lavender, purple and gold of the best.</div>
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Then out in the grass they dance in a ring</div>
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And call to the children, "Come out! It is spring."</div>
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<em>~ H. Henley</em></div>
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Stay tuned for a post on our schooling and our spring giveaway is right around the corner! Happy Spring!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272157134061700589noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876893946424365294.post-69164608479356653012013-03-09T08:41:00.000-08:002013-03-09T08:41:09.554-08:00Reactivating Ancient Hearth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I apologize for panicking and removing my blog from public access. I won't go into the details of what caused me to pull the plug, but after much thought and prayer, I realized that if this blog can help even one parent, teacher, or child on their journey - it should remain accessible to all.<br />
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Life has gotten so busy in the past couple of years that I have not been documenting much of what we've been doing, intending to go back in the summer and photograph our work for the year to post, yet summer flies by and we are already into the next spring. I hope to be better at posting at least a smidgen of what we are doing.<br />
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Until then, I hope that this blog can be a place of inspiration and inner quiet where others can be nurtured as I have been. Blessings and light to you all.<br />
<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272157134061700589noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876893946424365294.post-89809104846407498632012-12-01T12:07:00.001-08:002012-12-01T12:10:34.629-08:00December 1st...The Journey Begins...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2sq6Op_EoeYQt3k2RgOexBzjHFlQ56p9mlh1c1md4JbVDlgsrGESqx1Htj7k0PDACyj5eJE8PN9P3V9BGl6lae5ulv1Z_zcljvWmdttS2jJ4aYQbSPspiZy_1L4QaOco8f2ztDwx8y-4/s1600/Waldorf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2sq6Op_EoeYQt3k2RgOexBzjHFlQ56p9mlh1c1md4JbVDlgsrGESqx1Htj7k0PDACyj5eJE8PN9P3V9BGl6lae5ulv1Z_zcljvWmdttS2jJ4aYQbSPspiZy_1L4QaOco8f2ztDwx8y-4/s400/Waldorf.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Holy Family</td></tr>
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I have several favorite Christmas traditions that we started years ago when we first began our Waldorf inspired journey. One of them is our Descending Angel Calendar that is very easy to make. I can't even remember where I first saw it, but it is very easy to make, stores easily, and is fun for children. <br />
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Here is how: I used felt and cut four long strips and sewed them together (the dark blue). Then I cut out 26 gold stars - one of them you can see at the top, which is larger and represents the guiding star and then 25 smaller ones which go all the way to about 2 inches from the bottom strip. The little angel can be made out of tissue paper with wool rolled up in the shape of a ball to form the head. You can either use a pin or tape to move her down each star for each passing day. Eventually, ours will stand upright on the stars as the remaining section of the strip is on the table itself. Here is our angel on the first star for December 1st!<br />
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One of my other favorite traditions which begins on December 1st is to prepare the way for the Holy Family and their journey to the stable. I absolutely cherish my beautiful manger, which has also served as a set for many of our schooling stories, as well as a structure for the girls freeplay. It was handmade by Rick Tan of <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/Syrendell?ref=shop_sugg" target="_blank">Syrendell</a> as a custom order. Jennifer and Rick are two of my favorite people in the waldorf circle and have so many talents. I have always been thrilled with their creations!<br />
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Pinecones that you can collect with your children are always fun to represent nature and trees in storytelling. Rocks are also beautiful and add to a nature table.<br />
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In the past, I have used pieces of evergreen branches for our spiral, but this year, I wanted to try using our dried moss. The evergreen branches sometimes slide on the silks (also hand dyed by Syrendell), but the moss tends to grab at fibers more, so I think if we bump into the table, our spiral won't slide out of place this year...we'll see :) I also love the look of it.<br />
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Interesting note of Ancient Hearth history - the Joseph doll was my very first needle felting creation. I had no training, but used to oogle the beautiful dolls I would see, so I gave it a whirl and voila! I will always cherish these primitive figures. There is something special about the simplicity of them.<br />
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Below is the base of my Descending Angel Calendar. Once she reaches the last star on the morning of the 25th, we light our beeswax candle and take a moment to reflect on the many blessings we share and the beautiful soul born 'this day' so long ago...<br />
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So the journey for 2012 begins today and we begin to try to quiet our innerselves to prepare for all that this month brings! Tomorrow, we light our first candle of Advent as it 'officially' begins. <br />
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P.S. Don't forget to start your <a href="http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/waldorf-1/" target="_blank">St. Nicholas stories</a> today, if you are celebrating the Festival of St. Nick!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272157134061700589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876893946424365294.post-316652972980148512012-11-26T20:02:00.001-08:002012-11-26T20:02:58.229-08:00Holiday Preparations: Wooden Ornaments<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Alas, it has been months since I've penned this blog last and for that, and for my overbooked schedule, I apologize. Life is keeping us very busy and I don't have much time for elaborate, well planned posts. But, what I love about December is that as part of our homeschooling year, I block out much of the month to focus on all of the wonderful festivals, baking, and traditions; and it's a time when we slow down, stray from more formal lessons, and focus more on creating memories by living in the moment. So, I am hoping to write many posts over the month of December and would love to start by sharing some warm fuzzies that we treasure in our home. <br />
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Like many of you, I prefer anything handmade. It is hard to find natural, handmade in the local shops, so I often head over to etsy or track down obscure shops online where I can find those heartfelt goodies that make us feel cozy inside. I was thrilled to find these handmade wooden ornaments from Germany at a local shop near our home last year. There were so many cute ones that we had to narrow it down over and over again and I hope that we can snag a few more this year - adding to our little collection through the years. <br />
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The girls begged me to get out the old Christmas bins from the garage (no basements where I live) so they could begin decorating the tree and these were some of the first ornaments to go up...<br />
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Flying Santa</div>
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The Baker</div>
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Santa with his Walking Stick</div>
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Our Russian Soldier</div>
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Of course, the girls found the mini village my father had surprised us with the year I got married and the twins got sidetracked, but hey - any creative play is great by me! December is a time to slow down, turn inward, and recharge the soul. Kids definitely recharge through freeplay while we adults often recharge by ignoring the phone, dishes, and laundry and enjoy watching those little ones around us in all of their innocent, joyful splendor. Childhood is a wonder to behold!<br />
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We are preparing our special holiday table, our Advent spiral, Advent wreath, and of course - we are excited about our first festival in Dec - Bishop Nicholas' Day! This special tradition was made even more fun thanks to the amazingly beautiful and talented <a href="http://threefoldwaldorf.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Christine Natale</a> and her <a href="http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/waldorf-1/" target="_blank">St. Nick stories</a> - read one a day, beginning Dec 1st and get your kiddos into the spirit of giving and sharing... I have referenced Christine many times in my blog and there is a big reason why - she truly encompasses the Waldorf heart through her love of children and her foundational training and understanding. I wanted to post the link to her stories now for anyone who plans to begin them December 1st!<br />
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You can read more about St. Nicholas <a href="http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/home/" target="_blank">here</a>. And I will be back with more photos as we prepare for this most wonderful time of year! <br />
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Also, I have several comments that I've not answered yet - I hope to eventually get to them. And I just saw that I have reached a wonderful milestone of 300 followers :) So in honor of that, yup...you guessed it...I am planning a special giveaway - so stay tuned! Hugs to all of you!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272157134061700589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876893946424365294.post-14040036139783870642012-04-24T18:38:00.000-07:002012-04-24T18:38:44.985-07:00'Television' by Roald Dahl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #910000; font-family: "LucidaBright"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #910000; font-family: "LucidaBright"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;"><span style="color: black;">My sister sent this to me this morning from one of the Waldorf schools in her area and I just had to share it here...now I should also be honest and admit that my girls do watch videos on occassion. I have turned that ugly black box on now and again to get a rest, but do I see a difference when they watch too much? You bettcha! So this is kind of a gentle reminder to me to power through and always limit it. And as a Roald Dahl fan, I appreciate his talents that much more :)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #910000; font-family: "LucidaBright"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 600;">Television
</span></div>
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<div style="font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "ACaslonPro"; font-size: 12pt;">The most important thing
we've learned, So far as children are concerned,<br />Is never, NEVER, NEVER
let<br />Them near your television set -- </span></div>
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<div style="font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "ACaslonPro"; font-size: 12pt;">Or better still, just don't
install<br />The idiotic thing at all.<br />In almost every house we've
been,<br />We've watched them gaping at the screen.<br />They loll and slop and
lounge about,<br />And stare until their eyes pop out.<br />(Last week in someone's
place we saw<br />A dozen eyeballs on the floor.)<br />They sit and stare and stare
and sit<br />Until they're hypnotised by it,<br />Until they're absolutely
drunk<br />With all that shocking ghastly junk.<br />Oh yes, we know it keeps them
still,<br />They don't climb out the window sill,<br />They never fight or kick or
punch,<br />They leave you free to cook the lunch<br />And wash the dishes in the
sink --<br />But did you ever stop to think,<br />To wonder just exactly
what<br />This does to your beloved tot?<br />IT ROTS THE SENSE IN THE HEAD!<br />IT
KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD!<br />IT CLOGS AND CLUTTERS UP THE MIND! IT MAKES A CHILD
SO DULL AND BLIND HE CAN NO LONGER UNDERSTAND<br />A FANTASY, A FAIRYLAND!<br />HIS
BRAIN BECOMES AS SOFT AS CHEESE! HIS POWERS OF THINKING RUST AND FREEZE!<br />HE
CANNOT THINK -- HE ONLY SEES! </span></div>
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<div style="font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "ACaslonPro"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 700;">-Roald
Dahl </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "ACaslonPro"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 700;">My reader, Laney, who is often found buried in a book...</span></div>
<base target="_self"></base>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272157134061700589noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876893946424365294.post-60202303286490501332012-04-19T11:32:00.004-07:002012-04-19T11:33:33.960-07:00Christine Natale's "Fairy Tales" is available on PDF now!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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People who have read my blog know that I'm a huge fan of Christine Natale. She wrote, IMHO, the <a href="http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/waldorf-1/">BEST Waldorf stories for celebrating the St. Nicholas festival</a> and was kind enough to share them, along with much of her other work for free. Not very many people do something like that and it shows that for Christine, it's all about the children and helping moms and dads, grandmas, grandpas, teachers, and caregivers to have access to the tools to nourish these little ones who are so lacking stories to enahance their beings. So I wanted to put this out there and give a shout out to Christine. She has some wonderful original stories that she wrote for her Waldorf classes. We have used them in our homeschool and my twins loved them (as did I). <br />
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To contact Christine to see about other offers or specials she has, her email is: Golden3000997@cs.comJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272157134061700589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876893946424365294.post-63196786008783179222012-04-13T15:52:00.001-07:002012-04-13T15:55:49.835-07:00Free Stories & Thoughts on Grade 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9p7n5BOLoT0okbuAgaJcl7q4XgBPD1E6YCwZVOgkhmifbnkOvuCfJ3U1sDfoojsUIc3UsFQFtXVgbgMO8zHnhbKPUnEI3ZWrbXsjI8ZzT3Uqsd3ybiEXrJwQlZRoK53FSGHjL1MXT2xs/s1600/farmhouse-holzkram-d2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9p7n5BOLoT0okbuAgaJcl7q4XgBPD1E6YCwZVOgkhmifbnkOvuCfJ3U1sDfoojsUIc3UsFQFtXVgbgMO8zHnhbKPUnEI3ZWrbXsjI8ZzT3Uqsd3ybiEXrJwQlZRoK53FSGHjL1MXT2xs/s320/farmhouse-holzkram-d2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A reader had written to me asking what Grade 3 stories we were doing and so I am attempting to find some free stories that pertain to this year which have been helpful for us. I am not someone who does well reading online, so I usually purchase the books (used if possible - borrowed from the library is best), but I have found that many of the fables or snippets from folktales or fairytales have been perfect from these free online sites. The best one pertaining to stories used in Waldorf homes is from <a href="http://www.mainlesson.com/">www.mainlesson.com</a>. </div>
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So far, what we've found is that Grade 3 centers so much on the 9 year change (and I am beginning to experience it now with one of my twins, just as they turned 9 a month or so ago). So the Bible stories from the Old Testament are key and <em>most of the time</em>, can be woven in nicely into the other subjects. So much else of Grade 3 - with measurements of every sort seems to put us outside the 'traditional' classroom: experimenting with grains, farming, gardening, constructing basic dwellings, weaving together, baking, etc. It's just a really fun year!</div>
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As usual, we are going through and reading lots of books together. I will link a few of the ones we've like the best below:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6FP9qE4ZMGg603-N7hd9lI6OGPpep0ov00Nok0edfVQhbpiBucA241eh1L4A0yu2OqWILr_NmQ_ayNIO74Bo8HR59W6jb6ZhbeIPyVcjQsPULoQufAdeaGUEct8uv4LjMd7LoleJbz7U/s1600/Hurlbut's+Story+of+the+Bible.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6FP9qE4ZMGg603-N7hd9lI6OGPpep0ov00Nok0edfVQhbpiBucA241eh1L4A0yu2OqWILr_NmQ_ayNIO74Bo8HR59W6jb6ZhbeIPyVcjQsPULoQufAdeaGUEct8uv4LjMd7LoleJbz7U/s1600/Hurlbut's+Story+of+the+Bible.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=hurlbut&book=bible&story=_contents">Hurlbut's Story of the Bible</a> </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=olcott&book=indian&story=_contents">The Red Indian Fairy Book</a> (a nice tie-in to Native dwellings)<br />
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<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/289/289-h/289-h.htm">The Wind in the Willows</a> (found Toad to be a great <em>9 year change</em> character for children to relate to - he means well, but has bouts of selfishness where he is concerned with his own ego and takes to fibbing when it serves him well. He is left feeling very much alone, though his friends continue to flock to his aid.)<br />
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<a href="http://www.mainlesson.com/main/displayarticle.php?article=g3_books">The Secret Garden</a> (this is a WONDERFUL book about a little girl who begins alone, hardened and cast out of her home due to circumstances. She comes to live with her uncle in England and blossoms through the promise of the Secret Garden. It is leading us into our gardening block now.)<br />
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<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/236/236-h/236-h.htm">The Jungle Book</a> (works well for basic dwelling and survival skills.)<br />
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<a href="http://www.mainlesson.com/main/displayarticle.php?article=g3_books">here</a> is the Grade 3 list from Mainlesson.com<br />
<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page">here</a> is a link to Project Gutenberg who offers free quality books online<br />
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In Grade 3, you can also tackle cursive, turn your handwork into weaving projects that are practical and useful in everyday life (pot holders, place mats, purses or sacks for boys to carry things in, maybe even a book bag for those library trips), money, telling time, and we started spelling this year, too!<br />
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Some of the books we have read or are set to read (aside from Wind in the Willows and Secret Garden) are the following:<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cat_Who_Went_to_Heaven">The Cat Who Went to Heaven</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Popper's_Penguins">Mr. Popper's Penguins</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farmer_Boy">Farmer Boy</a> and the Little House Series<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Pippi-Longstocking-Astrid-Lindgren/dp/0670876127">The Adventures of Pippi Longstocking</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Hearts-Book-Star-Trilogy/dp/1888365935/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334356287&sr=1-1">The Dragon of Two Hearts</a> (from the Dragon Boy series)<br />
<a href="http://www.waldorfbooks.com/item_442.htm">Patter~Paws the Fox and Other Stories</a><br />
<a href="http://www.waldorfbooks.com/item_567.htm">Trumpets of Happiness and Other Stories</a><br />
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There is a wonderful post (one of many) on Carrie's blog <a href="http://theparentingpassageway.com/">The Parenting Passageway</a> and she posted an extensive reading list <a href="http://theparentingpassageway.com/2010/05/04/waldorf-third-grade-student-reading-list/">here</a>. Her blog is a wealth of knowledge that transcends across the board - not just to the waldorf circle!<br />
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This isn't nearly as much as I would like to share, but I hope it helps stir your thoughts just a bit as you plan out your 3rd Grade year. I always find myself getting antsy to start that planning in the spring for the next grade, forgetting that we still have lots of time left until the year's end!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272157134061700589noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876893946424365294.post-71858707322045932012-04-03T16:50:00.000-07:002012-04-03T16:50:25.157-07:00Making an Easter Tree<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_EuyNans2U4R4kNYnqoadYwSrFfy01094qDtSjuyGh6If297tIDedjYCwyNTgoPqd6ytkKuWv6w453AhAYvrGQOaBQ-mdeQ7bIVuos3lP49viiPepDQYjp6wcrDi4OJKHG-oNqCkImO4/s1600/Easter+Tree+056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_EuyNans2U4R4kNYnqoadYwSrFfy01094qDtSjuyGh6If297tIDedjYCwyNTgoPqd6ytkKuWv6w453AhAYvrGQOaBQ-mdeQ7bIVuos3lP49viiPepDQYjp6wcrDi4OJKHG-oNqCkImO4/s640/Easter+Tree+056.JPG" width="494" /></a><br />
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Today, the girls and I wanted to make an Easter Tree to celebrate the upcoming holiday. We wanted to create something natural for our table, that would represent life, and also be somewhat shaped like a cross. I thumbed through my <a href="http://www.steinerbooks.org/detail.html?id=0863151612">Easter Craft Book</a> and found just what we were hoping for, though we wanted something a little more organic looking, so we headed outside to find some branches or vines and thought that our Apple Blossoms would be perfect...<br />
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Cut some off and headed inside...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt6VHl410-lcz4dfzcIjism48BQ2tpS8e6ksN4lPbnde8sgXzczpRZpxv69opHEkP2e6Zm6IsWdBZNEDyGNRMImgclLabaSsC7Q65C2fE5IjiGxhEZI-1N7xhNjKjuSXIcUhuOMR2Rdcg/s1600/Easter+Tree+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt6VHl410-lcz4dfzcIjism48BQ2tpS8e6ksN4lPbnde8sgXzczpRZpxv69opHEkP2e6Zm6IsWdBZNEDyGNRMImgclLabaSsC7Q65C2fE5IjiGxhEZI-1N7xhNjKjuSXIcUhuOMR2Rdcg/s320/Easter+Tree+026.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<u>What you will need:</u></div>
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1. branches or vines and scissors to cut them</div>
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2. dowel rods and/or bamboo skewers or sticks even - one long one (dowel rod) and then three skewers long, medium, and short on the top</div>
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3. twisties, pipecleaners, or florist tape to secure the vines to the rod and skewers</div>
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4. a pot and some dirt or sand (rocks to help secure your tree)</div>
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5. decorations (felted eggs, real eggs, flowers, or whatever you want to decorate with)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxaY4wl-IUM9sR35UnYdYW1k8-7ruLbsJKgPwd05ktREgeE0w2IoQkpAtbULpoS44uF-xXh_m8vRX-yOG1JBEk5IC8uG58c6l35DbDwUp5Yidw-tiX9m60v0_3fySTYTJFhcYy17OahEE/s1600/Easter+Tree+035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxaY4wl-IUM9sR35UnYdYW1k8-7ruLbsJKgPwd05ktREgeE0w2IoQkpAtbULpoS44uF-xXh_m8vRX-yOG1JBEk5IC8uG58c6l35DbDwUp5Yidw-tiX9m60v0_3fySTYTJFhcYy17OahEE/s320/Easter+Tree+035.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>
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We started with wire, but had to abandon it for something easier to manipulate. The wire cut right through our vine. So we used what we had on hand - green twisties and green pipecleaners. </div>
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We laid the dowel rod in the center and then attached the longest skewer and worked our way up the rod, placing the medium one in the center and the shortest one near the top. We cut the vines to fit and then attached them to the rod and skewers, going up the dowel rod first.</div>
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We then headed outside, held it in the pot and placed small rocks inside to help hold it upright before we filled it with potting soil.<br />
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Once it was all filled (we had placed ours in a small round pot and then in a large rectangular 'pot'), we brought it inside and filled in the ground level with the remaining apple blossoms. Because this is a succulent, we should be able to keep it going with spritzes of water and hopefully it will rejenerate, as well! <br />
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Finally, the girls added some hanging eggs that their Gramy had sent to them last year, though you can wetfelt eggs to add with strings, or decorate in any way you want! And voila! You have an Easter Tree :)<br />
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I have some other posts on preparing for the Easter season if you click on the "<a href="http://www.ancienthearth2.blogspot.com/search/label/Easter">Easter</a>" link. Enjoy and I'd love to see your Easter Tree if you have or will make one! If anyone emails a photo and/or link to your blog, I'd love to put up your photos to share!<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272157134061700589noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876893946424365294.post-47036813755561352302012-04-02T09:22:00.007-07:002012-04-02T09:36:29.148-07:00Giveaway: And the Playscape Winner Is...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBDQY6g01SWgFhVa2OF6UDz6x2gfifYTs6KrZyhqiHlkp93HXGGBuuujALV07UOdwR8MTGoDVwAwSqOWYdq3SwVLkB65KqzIx3ToYQJRutAOViE3dX388YJaIe6Z97tGKvLOp89xv6bM/s1600/Snow+White%252C+Playscape+062.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 266px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726840306946217730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBDQY6g01SWgFhVa2OF6UDz6x2gfifYTs6KrZyhqiHlkp93HXGGBuuujALV07UOdwR8MTGoDVwAwSqOWYdq3SwVLkB65KqzIx3ToYQJRutAOViE3dX388YJaIe6Z97tGKvLOp89xv6bM/s400/Snow+White%252C+Playscape+062.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="center"><strong><em>Elizabeth...</em></strong><br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmMGth_LBnEAkrgTcx8WCj13var878P4ogGrgjzQjMlpBYo9cW4Fweff27R7Au_7GEiHyW5qfhbWX-vAfW7bxEqSr3-micK7MNJrkRSku-_rPqdEmQESLf-EuGVmGoil6a1gGEAJum8U/s1600/Snow+White%252C+Playscape+042.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 266px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726840160190878770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmMGth_LBnEAkrgTcx8WCj13var878P4ogGrgjzQjMlpBYo9cW4Fweff27R7Au_7GEiHyW5qfhbWX-vAfW7bxEqSr3-micK7MNJrkRSku-_rPqdEmQESLf-EuGVmGoil6a1gGEAJum8U/s400/Snow+White%252C+Playscape+042.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Elizabeth of Heartfelt Homemaking has 3 lovely daughters and is a dedicated homeschooler, mother, and homemaker!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2MC67OLCxiFgBTQarHlQzJAOV_Q9xw5tuHdpZGnmuHne7IMEuWfFqpFheGp2NH6tYu2-P6BQpkjX_ORHIAVkLpeQIurSayeyFa1Q0camG0xYGWzCIq-ndfrhCctVW2TGvgn0be3djc8/s1600/Snow+White%252C+Playscape+054.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 349px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726840152019072306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2MC67OLCxiFgBTQarHlQzJAOV_Q9xw5tuHdpZGnmuHne7IMEuWfFqpFheGp2NH6tYu2-P6BQpkjX_ORHIAVkLpeQIurSayeyFa1Q0camG0xYGWzCIq-ndfrhCctVW2TGvgn0be3djc8/s400/Snow+White%252C+Playscape+054.JPG" /></a></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6Qcqp7I5k3Lc2mBkg_TvHxVsAGn4epGZrFc71Sdn9aGYMiwj54xSDSR69eW39v9cjOqHEzlTz1KA-GJDZmz2WjKqaaaG0XKIKgGPexBTq0vpQBupiLWoP0pK0dbPHnOkrZtXBtwRzk4/s1600/Snow+White%252C+Playscape+065.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 266px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726840148585708130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6Qcqp7I5k3Lc2mBkg_TvHxVsAGn4epGZrFc71Sdn9aGYMiwj54xSDSR69eW39v9cjOqHEzlTz1KA-GJDZmz2WjKqaaaG0XKIKgGPexBTq0vpQBupiLWoP0pK0dbPHnOkrZtXBtwRzk4/s400/Snow+White%252C+Playscape+065.JPG" /></a></div><div> <br /></div><div>Congratulations, Elizabeth! My daughter, Laney, pulled your name from the bin and I'll be emailing you to get your address so we can send you the playscape! Hope your daughters enjoy it as much as my girls love theirs :)</div><div><br /></div><div>Thank you to all who entered! I wish I could give one away to everyone!!!! </div></div>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272157134061700589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876893946424365294.post-3438817664446358352012-03-26T08:06:00.009-07:002012-03-26T08:37:00.313-07:00Giveaway: A Needle-Felted Playscape!<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tHFYiipHHfpdD7jPh-yTcyLx2oHS1neUxGrMS12RqBbiEgoSv8VtlMBqTH-GMmY7NaesosAzStqWTqKgetscdfLitk7crTOJUaA35aNbaJxWkm31OQ9WBkIbNCVPdXCfaGNv5E8pZwY/s1600/Playscape+081.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 266px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724224710121233586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tHFYiipHHfpdD7jPh-yTcyLx2oHS1neUxGrMS12RqBbiEgoSv8VtlMBqTH-GMmY7NaesosAzStqWTqKgetscdfLitk7crTOJUaA35aNbaJxWkm31OQ9WBkIbNCVPdXCfaGNv5E8pZwY/s400/Playscape+081.JPG" /></a></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">The votes are in! The playscapes win :)</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left">I love playscapes and they have helped me immensely with my Waldorf inspired homeschool. I can't tell you how many times we have used one of the playscapes in the context of a story for teaching or how many times I have heard little voices playing and peek in to find great adventures happening on the playscape with their little wooden toys.</div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">This playscape features a meadow with a raised mound (where a simple little turtle sits), a stream that deposits into a lake, a cave lined with gold and diamonds where a simple red gnome fulfills his life's work, and a magic tale-telling tree that will come with both deep green 'leaves', and 'autumn foilage so that the playscape can be changed for the seasons, as well (simply remove the 'leaves' for a winter scape). Additional treasures abound in the details (like the purple heather and some little 'apples' that can be placed on the tree during the harvest)!<br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUHhUeZ43_yuL3duWta8MBGUn_EjrCs8UJAu1tLUY2wKiIdVT9izNZmNJp8Yumy2T4QxrwoJgUh1w9rEpqfhv8J8mExurvyy5wUzz1k0ZhignTYUTw5fLDkLS787SMNTMhfxtap_-H_Q/s1600/Playscape+060.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 266px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724223718017771698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUHhUeZ43_yuL3duWta8MBGUn_EjrCs8UJAu1tLUY2wKiIdVT9izNZmNJp8Yumy2T4QxrwoJgUh1w9rEpqfhv8J8mExurvyy5wUzz1k0ZhignTYUTw5fLDkLS787SMNTMhfxtap_-H_Q/s400/Playscape+060.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWb-NNB_ij8z7qec5uUWWDDQSwZG946i7HE8QimAjpDWagZI1sDh7eQ1gO3hEbUxTCD4JMjqnxfc5D2YDWfAZMfqZgDuANMMmUTkOwpeILWEsLpID6jmhyvcsNaGKLJfglnktNWjbYfQ/s1600/Playscape+074.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 266px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724223708427568210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWb-NNB_ij8z7qec5uUWWDDQSwZG946i7HE8QimAjpDWagZI1sDh7eQ1gO3hEbUxTCD4JMjqnxfc5D2YDWfAZMfqZgDuANMMmUTkOwpeILWEsLpID6jmhyvcsNaGKLJfglnktNWjbYfQ/s400/Playscape+074.JPG" /></a><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmW8xx5Y9IjVWSKHE-2VAPPBamM-k5injcJquG0ueq4LkXQ83LD_H0gWfKxWtmkezm2ASpJih8RpjokwDNRzwG65D-IYBk2KjvBzH-7xgyayEyknAHkjYf7id_-hVe8BcbnL4lL854UDQ/s1600/Playscape+075.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 266px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724223673620073442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmW8xx5Y9IjVWSKHE-2VAPPBamM-k5injcJquG0ueq4LkXQ83LD_H0gWfKxWtmkezm2ASpJih8RpjokwDNRzwG65D-IYBk2KjvBzH-7xgyayEyknAHkjYf7id_-hVe8BcbnL4lL854UDQ/s400/Playscape+075.JPG" /></a><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuFc4sV9gdqfY2sdhSsqMh0GypKkAhGnW8Jpb7h__ptInVWoXdVrQ_Qq6S7JAfZThYMF5Ta2HNF3nZG5BMIBucfv_AS5x5RPSUK_Gq-pOPrQQoU7ROWFdJ9Y-nZNOvfEVGe5nFjpgsOUo/s1600/Playscape+080.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 266px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724223666712045698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuFc4sV9gdqfY2sdhSsqMh0GypKkAhGnW8Jpb7h__ptInVWoXdVrQ_Qq6S7JAfZThYMF5Ta2HNF3nZG5BMIBucfv_AS5x5RPSUK_Gq-pOPrQQoU7ROWFdJ9Y-nZNOvfEVGe5nFjpgsOUo/s400/Playscape+080.JPG" /></a><br /></div><div align="left">To be entered to win this beautiful playscape, please leave me a comment with the ages of your child(ren) and their favorite book (or books) and I will post those in a subsequent post.<br /><br />For an additional entry into the contest, become a follower of my blog (if you are already, LMK that and I'll add your name a second time). </div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">For a third entry, please list your favorite blog (and the category it falls under - general, homeschooling, waldorf, crafting, etc) and I'll post those as a group in a subsequent post!<br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCN4129-FwFjiKOuiKURR1SEcvGHqFDUur5OgS4QWOqxPT2FkksAHe8JYhTXhNetRfEI3MswwUfsx7-70FxQ63LvNEDjtU3du7_BUW2l7vhIn6n8cWTq-h9Qi6paYzVYu-4gbkT0_C4nk/s1600/Playscape+070.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 264px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724223658648231122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCN4129-FwFjiKOuiKURR1SEcvGHqFDUur5OgS4QWOqxPT2FkksAHe8JYhTXhNetRfEI3MswwUfsx7-70FxQ63LvNEDjtU3du7_BUW2l7vhIn6n8cWTq-h9Qi6paYzVYu-4gbkT0_C4nk/s400/Playscape+070.JPG" /></a>Good luck to everyone! </div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">The winner will be announced next week on Monday, April 2nd!<br /><div align="center"></div></div></div></div>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272157134061700589noreply@blogger.com64tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876893946424365294.post-84282134831197368552012-03-22T17:59:00.004-07:002012-03-22T18:07:58.980-07:00OK...Giveaway Suggestions????<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsWhE_mPYOlhVue3jsAteKX-p1DUEcHTlflXQvvFgDwWaxhRg0Q84ZJyWbPV0mDAnhh42nmzhrYm-mdkpk-9P7RDXwyoKJGx2Lz40yrAUKMS98YM8Ile3Fwm0dO4bY5jTKHO5sSyiJ7Xs/s1600/Math%252C+Guitar%252C+Mother+%2526+Child+007.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 266px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722892045690903602" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsWhE_mPYOlhVue3jsAteKX-p1DUEcHTlflXQvvFgDwWaxhRg0Q84ZJyWbPV0mDAnhh42nmzhrYm-mdkpk-9P7RDXwyoKJGx2Lz40yrAUKMS98YM8Ile3Fwm0dO4bY5jTKHO5sSyiJ7Xs/s400/Math%252C+Guitar%252C+Mother+%2526+Child+007.JPG" /></a><br />I'd like to host my first giveaway in celebration of the reopening of my etsy shop, but I can't decide what to make :)<br /><br />Which of the three would you like to see:<br /><br />1) a playscape<br />2) a wall hanging (wool painting)<br />3) a spring doll<br /><br />Suggestions welcome if you have certain colors or creative ideas! I will decide soon and get the giveaway going next week. I appreciate everyone's patience and hope to answer some questions that were recently submitted! My whole blog needs an overhaul :)Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272157134061700589noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876893946424365294.post-13983729058724993472012-01-29T15:12:00.000-08:002012-01-29T16:31:23.499-08:00January Calendar & Saving Eloise<div align="center"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8O9heQ9RcjErRmHusFjV9zaJpjGK1OjhvCXwsXHIo37vnHA4I4SKQz3-nKMLkkMscQsqp6Oq3DYX8t-GkNWQ8guNsyEC1AzZRnr5onM3kyyCyP_-AzeOcdl8_8qa7e_EidjNFHv-6EA0/s1600/Adoptions+1-28-12+043.JPG"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 266px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703198616279246562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8O9heQ9RcjErRmHusFjV9zaJpjGK1OjhvCXwsXHIo37vnHA4I4SKQz3-nKMLkkMscQsqp6Oq3DYX8t-GkNWQ8guNsyEC1AzZRnr5onM3kyyCyP_-AzeOcdl8_8qa7e_EidjNFHv-6EA0/s400/Adoptions+1-28-12+043.JPG" /></a>"January brings the snow,</div><div align="center">Makes our feet and fingers glow."<br /><br /></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="left">One of the elements in Grade 3 is learning about time, which includes the passage of...hence the calendar. We are making our own calendar and each month, have learned a little rhyme about that month, and create a drawing that represents it. The girls are contributing more to the creative pallet, as they get older and we decided to draw a figure by a warming hearth.</div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">This gives us the opportunity to introduce measuring, as well. So the girls are becoming more familiar with how to use a ruler and how the metric system works! Any sheet of paper will do, but I didn't want a tear away calendar, so I opted to use our larger drawing paper. We kept the top half for our drawing and in the bottom half, we measured out our ample squares.<br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudStUwtMWWN2f5J7O6-RnvujAJCxoBpuDtPJhC3MCSu1lhQNi56-pwF7UibvgsdVagtZKzuR0nABDyQbzkhOs6OvIaQJIAXLgFpiWbL_bD0CTfD_alhXxU68pQpkfsvIggQGy9hjELy0/s1600/Adoptions+1-28-12+002.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 266px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703198617452140834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudStUwtMWWN2f5J7O6-RnvujAJCxoBpuDtPJhC3MCSu1lhQNi56-pwF7UibvgsdVagtZKzuR0nABDyQbzkhOs6OvIaQJIAXLgFpiWbL_bD0CTfD_alhXxU68pQpkfsvIggQGy9hjELy0/s400/Adoptions+1-28-12+002.JPG" /></a></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left">This also allows for the writing of the 7 days of the week. Each day, a square is crossed off and the girls tell me what day it is. They take great delight in crossing off another day!<br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTdXAcsbQGvhc9yNJHk_nawHk85bduzTIDC4QOmTgygwmLKPqS4sxwA6vs_wooIvlTWlucThdYcXlG6mkkt2V-0i-aV7LSYtpRvl9Pujg9o8h1phxh3yyxah0YiYCQ60wxkQxEEyVnIw/s1600/Adoptions+1-28-12+016.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 266px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703198605523939554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTdXAcsbQGvhc9yNJHk_nawHk85bduzTIDC4QOmTgygwmLKPqS4sxwA6vs_wooIvlTWlucThdYcXlG6mkkt2V-0i-aV7LSYtpRvl9Pujg9o8h1phxh3yyxah0YiYCQ60wxkQxEEyVnIw/s400/Adoptions+1-28-12+016.JPG" /></a></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left">We hung ours in our school room so they are within reach. Over the summer, my husband and I attemped to lazure paint the school room, which was a spare bedroom upstairs that we weren't really using. I am honestly torn between using our kitchen table and having our own room. I have done both and like both for different reasons. But I had found that we had so many crafts and projects out that the kitchen table was never clean, so from that aspect, I like having a room designated to school where we can leave projects out while finishing them. I hope to do another post on our room, how we did it, and how it turned out.<br /><br />We also made our own blackboard, which I will share, as well. I had a lot of great advice from Jenn of Our Little Nature Nest. Her blog was a great inspiration and I was saddened to hear that she had to close it down. In any case, here are our calendars for January.<br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_ivaZsBkcgz6Wefl8S1_hgiOeoIvcLBPKvkvzoQNwDnGYeAuBhX_ph-JBMF0xzYxGI6kK7TwnJ_L-m4O-Hu5Zn4qZIgKEug3wLj5AjM55qdx28F1ElpIBYxRUWkhhqjRDb7c_KcHiXw/s1600/Adoptions+1-28-12+044.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 266px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703198608642434370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_ivaZsBkcgz6Wefl8S1_hgiOeoIvcLBPKvkvzoQNwDnGYeAuBhX_ph-JBMF0xzYxGI6kK7TwnJ_L-m4O-Hu5Zn4qZIgKEug3wLj5AjM55qdx28F1ElpIBYxRUWkhhqjRDb7c_KcHiXw/s400/Adoptions+1-28-12+044.JPG" /></a></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">And now for Eloise...<br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0z2alFEb1JnfPcW8GkwG6FDKwbieFHUj1bD6RqT9ACBtzwPF1Zh2eWScK3vOEwFLZU4dsiJSWMYKDYBAnXzYrXrX5c2EkNJWCnCvhUcu27dljl8_rTHgBlt4fk5a8TDn0n0XzHKiO32o/s1600/Eloise.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703198145084176242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0z2alFEb1JnfPcW8GkwG6FDKwbieFHUj1bD6RqT9ACBtzwPF1Zh2eWScK3vOEwFLZU4dsiJSWMYKDYBAnXzYrXrX5c2EkNJWCnCvhUcu27dljl8_rTHgBlt4fk5a8TDn0n0XzHKiO32o/s400/Eloise.jpg" /></a></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">This is her impound photo...</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left">While this blog is primarily about our Waldorf-inspired homeschooling adventures, a big part of that is learning about compassion and respect for all creatures, great and small. Yesterday, we were blessed with an extra special rescue that I wanted to share.</div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">Almost two years ago, we rescued a dog who had been attacked and had his eye removed. He sat for 6 long weeks at a shelter and no one wanted him. When we went to see him, someone who was walking by even told us that he wasn't a good dog. We should adopt his kennelmate instead! That sealed the deal for me...With his time running out, we knew in our hearts that he was meant for us! Our Jackie has been the most loving and expressive furbaby. He has been a blessing in our lives. I will always credit him to leading us on this journey, for his save brought us to a wonderful small dog rescue organization who welcomed us with open arms. We not only jumped in with both feet, but we also jumped in with our entire hearts! I couldn't have planned a more important learning experience and life experience for my twins if I tried.</div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">Eloise is one of thousands of dogs that goes through the local shelters where we live. She, like our Jack, had been attacked and Animal Control found her and took her off the streets. Her eye was too far gone to save, so it was removed and she was brought back to the shelter and given a standard 5 day hold to see if her owners would come for her. </div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">They never showed.<br /><br /></div><div align="left">On day 6, she had to get out or she was slated to walk the Green Mile and would be killed the next morning. Yup - they give most of the dogs at this particular shelter only one day to get out. Not only was her eye an issue, but Eloise was deemed, 'rescue only'. That meant that her only hope of getting out was through an approved rescue organization. Luckily for Eloise, she had several Guardian Angels.</div><div align="left"><br />In the usual scramble that is the rescue world, the director of our rescue said she had an open spot for her, after another dog got adopted to a wonderful family. One rescuer drove over an hour to get her out. The clock was ticking and her time was running out. By 2pm Sat, she was safe in Tammy's car and the girls and I were on our way to meet her. Tammy drove two hours to get her to a meeting point and we drove two hours to get her from that point to our Saturday adoption event. From there, she would go home with the Director and begin her rehabilitation process.<br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhiTgS3MBbyqMoGBQhnOpi8x3CqH48cATgaZNSfWmQzZhXQzjpRTcQWVGKKe3Mec399hmLqFzbn-776wjAHJtdL2R4Gf9kiRH8-itn5KOmoUXyzVHNkLRJIllICdnkYu47gquACe9dSo/s1600/Adoptions+1-28-12+048.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 266px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703198148189745746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhiTgS3MBbyqMoGBQhnOpi8x3CqH48cATgaZNSfWmQzZhXQzjpRTcQWVGKKe3Mec399hmLqFzbn-776wjAHJtdL2R4Gf9kiRH8-itn5KOmoUXyzVHNkLRJIllICdnkYu47gquACe9dSo/s400/Adoptions+1-28-12+048.JPG" /></a></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left">The girls named her Eloise...and held her the whole way to adoptions. She gave them kisses of thanks and ate treats from their hands. Once at adoptions, it was Charley's turn to hold her and she refused to put her down. The looks on my girls faces as they hold these forgotten and unwanted babies, I shall never forget. It is the 'juice' that keeps me going, when I am tired and overworked. 'Just one more life,' I tell myself...yet one more always turns into yet another.<br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYOamZvK61aYcuj5TsH5aKRX0Vk7BtT32sc55N5uD_bAJB0o1fZ_A6Ka7yz5yhNDHX7DJNggARIsNZ1MWTn9tfVQtm0BCK2rRy_P40JQc11I9ZYRBby0aR5QU4mdS3j_6JeOyuUYGODo/s1600/Adoptions+1-28-12+051.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 266px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703197105295294322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYOamZvK61aYcuj5TsH5aKRX0Vk7BtT32sc55N5uD_bAJB0o1fZ_A6Ka7yz5yhNDHX7DJNggARIsNZ1MWTn9tfVQtm0BCK2rRy_P40JQc11I9ZYRBby0aR5QU4mdS3j_6JeOyuUYGODo/s400/Adoptions+1-28-12+051.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>But you know, I really wouldn't have it any other way...look at how relaxed Eloise is, compared to her impound photo. The worst is behind her. She will not die in the morning. Her new life is just beginning. She has been given a second chance at life. She may never know how many people it took to save her, how many animal lovers prayed for her when her photo was circulating, the individual people that gave pledges for the vet care required to heal her injury, or that she has helped form my girls into the next generation of rescuers, who will save more lives when they are grown because of dogs like her...</div><div><br /></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRbVbaSAqhu78oqOLSIVHcYczL8sGvXUEYqgxfpwRnuwc-2gLHQ-A0K-u1_5YrwrQSbIjr8_ltNd1yigd2tT0RjvYiwKgtGo-5hzch0tDvwtSMIB80WnYbun199MF4rrdrnG9LLZV9amw/s1600/Adoptions+1-28-12+373.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 266px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703197099732367042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRbVbaSAqhu78oqOLSIVHcYczL8sGvXUEYqgxfpwRnuwc-2gLHQ-A0K-u1_5YrwrQSbIjr8_ltNd1yigd2tT0RjvYiwKgtGo-5hzch0tDvwtSMIB80WnYbun199MF4rrdrnG9LLZV9amw/s400/Adoptions+1-28-12+373.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div align="center">But the one thing she will know, is that she is...</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUJfdka5GgQrExuwT0jfT3uQwzcDNy_SvNnCRUofkPCBwhCLiQo3_2ouGXC1jwEEzZ2mICwdoR3NqyD0eCpFDR5O-sQ7KeLkPxHrQ7tSkx_8hEFKmb8LI7wciaPo71j3fLFO84zoZOHIo/s1600/Eloise+1-28-12.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 266px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703197095941309970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUJfdka5GgQrExuwT0jfT3uQwzcDNy_SvNnCRUofkPCBwhCLiQo3_2ouGXC1jwEEzZ2mICwdoR3NqyD0eCpFDR5O-sQ7KeLkPxHrQ7tSkx_8hEFKmb8LI7wciaPo71j3fLFO84zoZOHIo/s400/Eloise+1-28-12.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">LOVED</span><br /><br /></div><div>If anyone has the interest or passion to help rescue shelter animals, good people are always needed. Even if you can't foster, transporters are always needed and appreciated. Many dogs don't make it out alive because the rescues don't have a way to get them the distance they need to go, so if you want to make a different in the life of a dog, cat, rabbit, horse, goat, chicken, pigeon, rat, hamster, guinea pig, you name it - even turtles and iguana's turn up at the shelters, research a good rescue (sadly, not all are good) - and see if you can help transport :) I promise you, the feeling you get on the way from the shelter is one you will never forget, and the lessons you teach your children through example are priceless...<br /></div><div></div></div>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272157134061700589noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876893946424365294.post-27537707692099836992012-01-26T09:50:00.001-08:002012-01-26T10:01:36.778-08:00Ancient Hearth Etsy Shop is Reopening!!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3PTrh2PWdeR2nMPXGFxHHWNGY2REkCCRwgWUP3CamyqyfVRP8J0mCIALe4fUEaVctGiLX1Bvzo81Esve-Y8rkZGuBm03dK3BRVAKLVL5jIDXQaSHtQaXhClxIt-nJw1XezJZjWwaVfVY/s1600/doll2+013.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 266px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702000396969355490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3PTrh2PWdeR2nMPXGFxHHWNGY2REkCCRwgWUP3CamyqyfVRP8J0mCIALe4fUEaVctGiLX1Bvzo81Esve-Y8rkZGuBm03dK3BRVAKLVL5jIDXQaSHtQaXhClxIt-nJw1XezJZjWwaVfVY/s400/doll2+013.JPG" /></a><br />Bonnie, my friend, you guessed it! After a l-o-n-g hiatus, I decided that I missed my little shop so I'm busy at work, like an elf, creating some special little people to bring warmth and spirit to some wonderful homes in 2012!<br /><br />And, of course, we have to celebrate by having our first giveaway of 2012. That giveaway is on the horizon, so be sure to check back next week!!!!<br /><br />I've also just created a facebook page for Ancient Hearth. So feel free to join us there, too!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272157134061700589noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876893946424365294.post-70163159567414992052012-01-22T09:17:00.000-08:002012-01-22T09:51:30.375-08:00Can you Guess?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTlave18MN121iN9ASm4onpSVUYcIwyiXZNedzg7S58c1syac6c_5iNd-VR8wVoXK2184umi8an0yBx5c6tvnkkN_gFlAAmQKaahzZGybnIF6Xc6K6RWG-V6lkQ7Q7cUAqLoxY7td4MGA/s1600/dolls+047.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700511040727222626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTlave18MN121iN9ASm4onpSVUYcIwyiXZNedzg7S58c1syac6c_5iNd-VR8wVoXK2184umi8an0yBx5c6tvnkkN_gFlAAmQKaahzZGybnIF6Xc6K6RWG-V6lkQ7Q7cUAqLoxY7td4MGA/s400/dolls+047.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="center"><div align="center"><div align="center"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Gossip among the gnomes indicates that along with the spring, something else is returning to the Hearth...</span><br /><br /></div><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidD8MrHWIZrdJfOZe8pUJmdMjsQZpYmAYqDs1nD-wQNoNW67Llhl4uJz1A1U93Iwxrh6yyfQlTmR-bsvgGhXl5xVEytA3kuxlw-go_q-74WrXyTlbWwLeEEV-lH92dQmNY8H4lJqWtMLY/s1600/New+lens+024.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 298px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700511034522718978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidD8MrHWIZrdJfOZe8pUJmdMjsQZpYmAYqDs1nD-wQNoNW67Llhl4uJz1A1U93Iwxrh6yyfQlTmR-bsvgGhXl5xVEytA3kuxlw-go_q-74WrXyTlbWwLeEEV-lH92dQmNY8H4lJqWtMLY/s400/New+lens+024.JPG" /></a></p><p align="center">Trees are bare, but not for long...</p><p align="center">Former slumber is almost gone...<br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgif0Ghhu6gt5iakCFDV1nbT4BekF4tVwjKfxyn1MifPcBv5g5NzU-PgtI5e2FrzQPicVVQglBq0NU_MeYX69KM_zCVFbF5rWDBrUq802gO-hWpGheGt_N7MR7sMdPFCp5VSfm1UqM-dlM/s1600/doll2+001.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 266px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700511030958097458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgif0Ghhu6gt5iakCFDV1nbT4BekF4tVwjKfxyn1MifPcBv5g5NzU-PgtI5e2FrzQPicVVQglBq0NU_MeYX69KM_zCVFbF5rWDBrUq802gO-hWpGheGt_N7MR7sMdPFCp5VSfm1UqM-dlM/s400/doll2+001.JPG" /></a><div align="center"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Can you guess what's on the horizon?</span></div></div></div>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272157134061700589noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876893946424365294.post-4101292590841248722011-12-27T19:01:00.000-08:002011-12-27T19:22:56.004-08:00OMG! The Phoenix Rises from the Fiery Flame!<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUK6TUfg-NLtunYmObP8UinE85aJHzzTUa0S7mpk113HlOf93FFC0Df-HRytFfZbO1dU6FO2z0kfcy4shNBcM1HEGlOvWJ7oPlW3MVt6sC9PRLGYr5z-E4zDO0-I7baqoO2vtyH2YPZcM/s1600/Granny%2527s+tree+001.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 266px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691012787113858002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUK6TUfg-NLtunYmObP8UinE85aJHzzTUa0S7mpk113HlOf93FFC0Df-HRytFfZbO1dU6FO2z0kfcy4shNBcM1HEGlOvWJ7oPlW3MVt6sC9PRLGYr5z-E4zDO0-I7baqoO2vtyH2YPZcM/s400/Granny%2527s+tree+001.JPG" /></a><div><br /></div><div>OK I'm not exactly a phoenix, but I feel like one after not being able to post for 6 months! I can't believe it...I'm finally able to post again! For some reason, my blogging status froze and I was unable to post anything new! I tried in vain to figure it out and then gave up all together, checking every so often and now...6 months later, I'm able to post again - woo hoo! My July post just went through - yeah!<br /><br />So now I have to start taking photos again so I can return to blogging about our homeschooling journey. For those friends who have been waiting, thank you for your patience. I was *this* close to switching to WordPress - lol! I hope to resume posting about our waldorf inspired activities :)<br /><br />And Jenn (from Our Little Nature Nest), if you read this, can you shoot me an email via comments so I can contact you? Thanks lady!<br /><br />Sorry this is so jumbled - I just wasn't expecting to be able to post anymore on this blog and was trying to decide if I should walk away from it all together or start something new elsewhere...so I'm giddy with joy! Hugs and misses to you all! I'm leaving you with a photo of my big girls, who are still 8, and skated to Swan Lake (one white and one black swan) at our rink's holiday show last week. I'll have to post some favorite action shots in a subsequent post :) I'm so happy to return to the blogging world!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZzavDNPFeC3IMkymGv_-ZTLWskyX6IlA7o8LU3fuqzU30HJeAZrvpUyrP3ubd20BINNKkie5-x6UE74PtQBmbhTZv6724UlouAE2eaK7CIGDyUg4i5FkRWKGjicTmWB9p8dNGg6Gt890/s1600/Christmas+Show+12-18-11+1007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 315px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691013205957370770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZzavDNPFeC3IMkymGv_-ZTLWskyX6IlA7o8LU3fuqzU30HJeAZrvpUyrP3ubd20BINNKkie5-x6UE74PtQBmbhTZv6724UlouAE2eaK7CIGDyUg4i5FkRWKGjicTmWB9p8dNGg6Gt890/s400/Christmas+Show+12-18-11+1007.jpg" /></a></div></div>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272157134061700589noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876893946424365294.post-21357222027688882542011-07-13T11:19:00.001-07:002011-12-27T19:00:15.950-08:00Mending My Wings...<div><div><div align="center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg71vNz01kWlqNe3ZNjDvOL-7pfsDTTCOraqQHkPSlRJ0IETQtE-da_eOqM1g-Juxej_9_WBUcb1mTT321SgDQDPgw0ZYxPnFewUShszPAZMFbGC6_baP5QEINzLYGoG89DRsyM-2gm39U/s1600/July+2011+022.JPG"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 266px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628903686249160386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg71vNz01kWlqNe3ZNjDvOL-7pfsDTTCOraqQHkPSlRJ0IETQtE-da_eOqM1g-Juxej_9_WBUcb1mTT321SgDQDPgw0ZYxPnFewUShszPAZMFbGC6_baP5QEINzLYGoG89DRsyM-2gm39U/s400/July+2011+022.JPG" /></a><br /><em>A butterfly will flutter by<br /> It's lovely colors catch your eye<br /> Let it go, let it go<br /><br /> A heart may sigh as it goes by<br /> and you may catch it if you try<br /> Let it go, let it go<br /><br /> It has but a few days to see the world<br /> It is so short a time since it's wings unfurled<br /> Give it a chance to flutter and dance<br /> A few happy hours to sip at the flowers.<br /> A butterfly will flutter by<br /> It's lovely colors catch your eye<br /> Let it go, let it go</em><br /><br />Anonymous</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left">I can't believe it's been since April since I last blogged, but then again, I can't seem to remember what I did even yesterday, so the passage of time shouldn't surprise. It happened to me, though...yes, it did. The dreaded "B" word in the world of homeschooling..."burnout". I was burning out between having one too many hands in one too many jars. So, I stopped blogging, I stopped needlefelting, I stopped going online and reading all those hundreds of group messages in the quest to be the best "me" I could be for my beloved girls. I even took a break from homeschooling - ack! Yup, indeed...</div><div align="left"><br />There are so many supermoms in this community; just amazing moms who inspire others and unite us all in the common goal of raising our children as best we can. But sometimes, we moms need to make sure we are caring for ourselves, as well, along the way. We have to forgive ourselves our mistakes and accept the things that come our way that we can not control and strive to continue to be true to ourselves.<br /><br /></div><div align="left">I wanted to thank those inspirational mommies out there who emailed me or tried to contact me to make sure we were doing OK. You know who you are ;) and your caring words brought tears to my eyes. You knew I needed a 'pick me up' and you brought it. Thank you.<br /><br /></div><div align="left">Right now, I'm mending my broken wings and feeling them strengthen and that desire returning to share our educational lives on this blog. Maybe I'll even get around to posting all the other fun educational elements we wove into our 2nd grade year that I never got around to sharing, but if I don't, know that I just don't have the time right now. I am excited about Grade 3 and know that my workload will be significantly easier thanks to Jenn at <a href="http://naturenest.wordpress.com/">Our Little Nature Nest</a>, who continues to blow me away with her creative energies and natural gift for organic teaching with her beautiful daughter.<br /><br /></div><div align="left">Until then, I will enjoy the fruits of mine as this much needed lazy summer unfolds like the wings of a newly hatched butterfly...<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixM8BU1RA-Ct-Gkw-SV6bB71LvEYBm-wo597gKagUE5S8fFJhyphenhyphenZILn-LsnlnmqSvBu7h5DkpBzodHmQmridzkeecN6xKapGiFMAsxFtRHDSS6oi5CHLkM9wW-mINKABn1J8Zz4_TbdP0U/s1600/July+2011+028.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 266px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628903678097162530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixM8BU1RA-Ct-Gkw-SV6bB71LvEYBm-wo597gKagUE5S8fFJhyphenhyphenZILn-LsnlnmqSvBu7h5DkpBzodHmQmridzkeecN6xKapGiFMAsxFtRHDSS6oi5CHLkM9wW-mINKABn1J8Zz4_TbdP0U/s400/July+2011+028.JPG" /></a></div></div>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272157134061700589noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876893946424365294.post-3011412597760074922011-04-11T09:20:00.001-07:002011-04-11T09:50:59.259-07:00The King of Ireland's Son<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW7SIo5f_mWYuJtgU2Aji8pg5XVNJtZ6rU2SKNuTqOBmpsro9ohnDM1IU3_1nSxVk4gBCAILnzo6f-SjZqAJ81aVAYVYWwMn_fNj74vEFIm3lnXY6RFb7Swcd35_PyvhJErDi-mxyeEv4/s1600/Ballet+023.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594362889572696706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW7SIo5f_mWYuJtgU2Aji8pg5XVNJtZ6rU2SKNuTqOBmpsro9ohnDM1IU3_1nSxVk4gBCAILnzo6f-SjZqAJ81aVAYVYWwMn_fNj74vEFIm3lnXY6RFb7Swcd35_PyvhJErDi-mxyeEv4/s400/Ballet+023.JPG" /></a> <br /><div align="center"><em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/King-Irelands-Son-Padraic-Colum/dp/0486297225/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1302539151&sr=8-1">The King of Ireland's Son</a> by</em></div><br /><div align="center"><em>Padraic Colum</em> </div><br /><div align="center">What a fun month March was for us - Springtime and Irish legends, along with some Language Arts tied into the block. We had such fun!</div><br /><div align="center"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYH7xkiBu64lr3grwP1HbJJ9Qin9PHUsh4CgWmAnWEG2Iypd-TN3b1GxRLVO6xxMyM-LpDReVXeyTphs78I24uYtSbfLRUepKuVB8NJCtoqmcsJLO54z0QS_ukJKxIR1zptwz38Uj5Bk/s1600/Skating+Competition+4-3-11+021.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594362736967804530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYH7xkiBu64lr3grwP1HbJJ9Qin9PHUsh4CgWmAnWEG2Iypd-TN3b1GxRLVO6xxMyM-LpDReVXeyTphs78I24uYtSbfLRUepKuVB8NJCtoqmcsJLO54z0QS_ukJKxIR1zptwz38Uj5Bk/s320/Skating+Competition+4-3-11+021.JPG" /> </a>We're have been preparing a nature project and found some old stumps from a Christmas tree farm that we collected. You can contact one by you and ask them if you can pick up a bunch and they usually will welcome the clean-up and you get some free nature supplies for various craft and school projects! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZQ-DPFg4MGcNLz5Eekhuk6fwgTJeZFBMwIaRL38Pulzw6owDBNlCA272U-o_744IC3g_FSFz_UTUFbyoiP8HqMncVWkQLlltZI1n-BTjcICZP6PQ11cJ_JP0IJiQVrgCRROe7CiYJU4/s1600/Skating+Competition+4-3-11+026.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594362731405233330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZQ-DPFg4MGcNLz5Eekhuk6fwgTJeZFBMwIaRL38Pulzw6owDBNlCA272U-o_744IC3g_FSFz_UTUFbyoiP8HqMncVWkQLlltZI1n-BTjcICZP6PQ11cJ_JP0IJiQVrgCRROe7CiYJU4/s320/Skating+Competition+4-3-11+026.JPG" /> </a>We clean ours off and then bake at a low setting to be sure we're not bringing termites and things into the house. <br /><br />I apologize that this post will be somewhat short, but we are restructuring things in our home and I have been so busy that I haven't taken the time to document as much or share, but I'm goint to start back as soon as I can and until then, wanted to share this for the month of March and Grade 2! <br /><br />Our monthly book was "The King of Ireland's Son" and we wove it into our homeschooling, as well. Here are a few pictures of some drawings and MLB's that we did that were tied into the story. Following Eric Fairman's suggestion of color coding grammar, we put our nouns in one color and our verbs in another and formed short sentences. Here are a couple more pictures that we tied into the story. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvOZX2IKBeNQBQGsFktzLkBeejUwJSe4gKAFrkbQUE9iUrKdosXrfjkOdjTvJZ_zls6BHMuNV1yecyY9xBE65OCIIWXRwapNvjhAsNw3zcfx5uoLcnBtJ5BQSJcyr5hRrbmusrUtf52U/s1600/Skating+Competition+4-3-11+039.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 216px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594362235384637490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvOZX2IKBeNQBQGsFktzLkBeejUwJSe4gKAFrkbQUE9iUrKdosXrfjkOdjTvJZ_zls6BHMuNV1yecyY9xBE65OCIIWXRwapNvjhAsNw3zcfx5uoLcnBtJ5BQSJcyr5hRrbmusrUtf52U/s320/Skating+Competition+4-3-11+039.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmc2K4JJuQjqCiCkF9S_KGNvz0na8U8lQTQyesxmH6gD7DKMz-XwIAz89sOuDuICrIKoZR253aeg1AY8Q_y3Epp5Okrpas-rqO1JRniHyq123xASBPaCgXQjjkNUFOOYyB0x2ft-fx7hY/s1600/Skating+Competition+4-3-11+058.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 234px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594362228016827618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmc2K4JJuQjqCiCkF9S_KGNvz0na8U8lQTQyesxmH6gD7DKMz-XwIAz89sOuDuICrIKoZR253aeg1AY8Q_y3Epp5Okrpas-rqO1JRniHyq123xASBPaCgXQjjkNUFOOYyB0x2ft-fx7hY/s320/Skating+Competition+4-3-11+058.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh729u5GmQ0XJvEAGrO0FXK7DVl3tYGFE6gYwcu98gM8zgGTL6uwDPgwSxwX2R8ZYVDDqLKJA3qm-LRLTAMixZ_v15OBqHGxUbF44BLIFIUgdErd-GEyoS-uzNAE3UNhsP5HoHc0XSc1h0/s1600/Skating+Competition+4-3-11+061.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 209px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594362218356837442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh729u5GmQ0XJvEAGrO0FXK7DVl3tYGFE6gYwcu98gM8zgGTL6uwDPgwSxwX2R8ZYVDDqLKJA3qm-LRLTAMixZ_v15OBqHGxUbF44BLIFIUgdErd-GEyoS-uzNAE3UNhsP5HoHc0XSc1h0/s320/Skating+Competition+4-3-11+061.JPG" /> </a>I also wanted to share one of my favorite resources for Irish Legends and it is this book by Yvonne Carroll. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Irish-Legends-Children-Yvonne-Carroll/dp/1589802780/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1302539838&sr=1-1">Irish Legends for Children </a>contains several wonderful stories to tie into this March Irish block! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYkhMCU4X01QkQTGLOKTWEtcE4SkvOxjxV4hoZa-MRxy3Ya3nBC-wS5kUiTkSahUD7fnQy9pn6LTscKX6EMj75qCIdAGu4g0QmE60oZPNq9uQOkgLzHBumCFCHXg88ILvue-ZLUDRiRWY/s1600/Adoptions+4-9-11+008.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594362211389708754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYkhMCU4X01QkQTGLOKTWEtcE4SkvOxjxV4hoZa-MRxy3Ya3nBC-wS5kUiTkSahUD7fnQy9pn6LTscKX6EMj75qCIdAGu4g0QmE60oZPNq9uQOkgLzHBumCFCHXg88ILvue-ZLUDRiRWY/s320/Adoptions+4-9-11+008.JPG" /> </a>We also enjoyed stories of St. Patrick and some great legends using some of our favorite Tomie dePaola books! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQM1X1iRbNZB_WDv08U9x6q6vfHy5VCqukH5xaBLtbj_VwMxfY9_-3lFYrH5QB0ggBQuDLykfV_jgaH_IAAHo72TxuPrnuu07gTDgBDt97XhP7Dbm_ngonyRtuDEcG1wyC9BTcbpqukI8/s1600/Adoptions+4-9-11+005.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594362184071435746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQM1X1iRbNZB_WDv08U9x6q6vfHy5VCqukH5xaBLtbj_VwMxfY9_-3lFYrH5QB0ggBQuDLykfV_jgaH_IAAHo72TxuPrnuu07gTDgBDt97XhP7Dbm_ngonyRtuDEcG1wyC9BTcbpqukI8/s320/Adoptions+4-9-11+005.JPG" /> </a>I have been working on various Saint stories that I was hoping to put in one big post and will do so eventually, even if it ends up being summer - lol! Great time to get caught up, right? <br /><br />Also, I'm really excited because we have decided to move our school back into the old school room upstairs, which had been used recently as a play room. So we emptied it out and prepped it and I just primed it yesterday. I have big plans for this room that I will be sharing as soon as it is finished! Can't wait! <br /><br />Hope you are all having a wonderful spring and enjoying your little elves and pixies grow!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272157134061700589noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876893946424365294.post-688496572217528082011-03-28T10:39:00.000-07:002011-03-28T11:02:46.018-07:00The Wonder of Childhood Online Magazine<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJbVNum2mhG1DicfEd8k8IF9v-8F-JdOE7EWzHou7rPpOv8y5vKZABlm88mH5EZoLvxgBfGJTAWPVP8o50pb58scCvJB3OmEvB2TF6qAWbSr20FwyA0Djj9Bx30BX4gTZjEnc4SIrZMM/s1600/TheWonderofChildhood.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 150px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 149px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589187141400234434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJbVNum2mhG1DicfEd8k8IF9v-8F-JdOE7EWzHou7rPpOv8y5vKZABlm88mH5EZoLvxgBfGJTAWPVP8o50pb58scCvJB3OmEvB2TF6qAWbSr20FwyA0Djj9Bx30BX4gTZjEnc4SIrZMM/s400/TheWonderofChildhood.jpg" /></a> <br />Oh I am so excited about this online magazine created by Lisa Boisvert Mackenzie who blogs <a href="http://celebratetherhythmoflife.blogspot.com/">here</a>. Lisa is well known for her beautiful outreach to the community, sharing her own wonderful stories and understanding of waldorf education and holistic living. She is putting the finishing touches on what promises to be an amazing resource for families everywhere with an emphasis on waldorf homes, life and education. The magazine is called, "<a href="http://thewonderofchildhood.com/">The Wonder of Childhood</a>". <br /><br />I was honored when Lisa contacted me to write a monthly column for her new online magazine, representing the waldorf inspired homeschoolers out there. My first article can be seen <a href="http://thewonderofchildhood.com/2011/02/homeschooling-with-waldorf/">here</a>. I am so excited to be in the company of so many amazing contributors whom I so admire and who I have turned to time and time again for inspiration and education. <br /><br />Lisa is one of the most beautiful souls that I've met. She willingly gives and shares with others, always striving to do more and to learn more. I am thrilled at this undertaking to put together an all encompassing free magazine for the benefit of families everywhere. Thank you, Lisa! And hope everyone gets a chance to check it out and take it all in. It is absolutely fabulous and has contributions by so many amazing experts out there, including Eugene Schwartz, Marsha Johnson, Christine Natale, Suzanne Down, and so many others that you will most likely recognize if you scroll through it. <br /><br />Very exciting! Be sure to have a peek at <a href="http://thewonderofchildhood.com/">The Wonder of Childhood</a>...Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272157134061700589noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7876893946424365294.post-49883141423763041862011-03-11T11:52:00.000-08:002011-03-11T12:23:19.243-08:00Sorry to be MIA...Bdays and Family Time<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGeAUaUVCawPZi8auWHbWQKDk5nkSGUe6o9fyl-g3GS-huC7ebCyj3JYN5J1O5zgWI7f2lXUOAzfeLNhfufuBo5NG3TnO86kahu8IONdNd6KG_-6P3L5GgkuiJ6K_2hQiUxVusD2juAI/s1600/B-day+%2526+clothes+002.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582913469260388338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGeAUaUVCawPZi8auWHbWQKDk5nkSGUe6o9fyl-g3GS-huC7ebCyj3JYN5J1O5zgWI7f2lXUOAzfeLNhfufuBo5NG3TnO86kahu8IONdNd6KG_-6P3L5GgkuiJ6K_2hQiUxVusD2juAI/s400/B-day+%2526+clothes+002.JPG" /></a><br />Life has been keeping us so busy lately that I've taken a break from blogging. I'm almost caught up and eager to share what we've been up to, but not today. I want to mention that I have several comments that I haven't published yet with wonderful awards that I'm so flattered to receive. I will blog about them as soon as I can and thank every one who sent some love my way :)<br /><br />In the meantime, my baby girls turned 8 in Feb! My mom flew out from Chicago and spent about 3 weeks in California to attend a lavish wedding of my cousin who got married at St. Patrick's Cathedral in San Francisco, followed by a reception at The Palace Hotel where many VIP's have stayed at this historical hotel. Will blog some pictures about that later. It was gorgeous there!<br /><br />In the meantime, we had two different bouts of the tummy flu blow through our home (coupled with a broken washing machine with parts on back order - ugh) and ended up having a very mellow b-day for the twins. They haven't finished opening their gifts yet because we kept getting hit with illnesses and family obligations. But here is a glimpse at our store bought cake (I know...I know...) and a couple of special gifts they received this year.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-o-lo-7fkyjjCGV-rSwbS-XBoQty9yMqQ_SysXM79TFcSRG12oW-DqXcizFA_pv80Tukd5Ms-oNrNH741IFlMmgikvj-hVzTPe-az4gdEShl-tLGseVzmLJBdVM0HqqO879RA1hWu58/s1600/B-day+%2526+clothes+008.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582913203746586930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-o-lo-7fkyjjCGV-rSwbS-XBoQty9yMqQ_SysXM79TFcSRG12oW-DqXcizFA_pv80Tukd5Ms-oNrNH741IFlMmgikvj-hVzTPe-az4gdEShl-tLGseVzmLJBdVM0HqqO879RA1hWu58/s320/B-day+%2526+clothes+008.JPG" /></a><br />Charley held up the "banana cake" for Elena to blow out the candles on since she was under the weather :) Yes, it is literally an opened banana with candles - lol!<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4HDb1sIOiABYtf3tcer5EIVFKdSmPgYrVg15kA6esouGOJopAvxA6SD5UaWibheyCbKvlQvcJJJZpsbny_CvaNftuc9Re-Isx1Qq9Ag7EGrFkW3M5thXZqnX7qavc1LakH8eGXJKqjX0/s1600/B-day+%2526+clothes+015.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582913188267610834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4HDb1sIOiABYtf3tcer5EIVFKdSmPgYrVg15kA6esouGOJopAvxA6SD5UaWibheyCbKvlQvcJJJZpsbny_CvaNftuc9Re-Isx1Qq9Ag7EGrFkW3M5thXZqnX7qavc1LakH8eGXJKqjX0/s320/B-day+%2526+clothes+015.JPG" /></a><br />A few special goodies...<br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9ynI6F67VZ9SaymxpgZlzCmADUIVynaLT5xBsWzxHcPxBy7WI9IggJtO7UMbs2hG8wX6C1onXMKkt4ikd-DbEHN16-hlJs0rs_xqIn7e5vgO3DKgmqfWOFBhOZMHhcGkRz4VRNbXZow/s1600/Homeschooling+with+Waldorf+1+009.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582913180359468866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9ynI6F67VZ9SaymxpgZlzCmADUIVynaLT5xBsWzxHcPxBy7WI9IggJtO7UMbs2hG8wX6C1onXMKkt4ikd-DbEHN16-hlJs0rs_xqIn7e5vgO3DKgmqfWOFBhOZMHhcGkRz4VRNbXZow/s320/Homeschooling+with+Waldorf+1+009.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcunXvDHi-FVY43s5rUu7I5MuOrGaxe8PDaXc_PvKF57mRh7soC9k0OyN7F_w5Ei64ZNRj8ieIkxEUg1nH8QEaBz1iWz94tyBPnMIL898jLa-SzZ7o9FL0FL9WkG4WOjq5AHt6kvslWFU/s1600/Homeschooling+with+Waldorf+1+008.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582913162979217714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcunXvDHi-FVY43s5rUu7I5MuOrGaxe8PDaXc_PvKF57mRh7soC9k0OyN7F_w5Ei64ZNRj8ieIkxEUg1nH8QEaBz1iWz94tyBPnMIL898jLa-SzZ7o9FL0FL9WkG4WOjq5AHt6kvslWFU/s320/Homeschooling+with+Waldorf+1+008.JPG" /></a> <div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDz-7AcafZMfxEUBySfJqJS2gc748d1EmDEXo31gGWn-Ok9BkP3fKnxFyqDJq5AHz7_dCkns5nPDqO9AGBUnaYotW9C8f85dgqPNxUeL03wlgBFQzaLM3ZKXcdy8FLc_A1kb_02h8x8w/s1600/Homeschooling+with+Waldorf+1+012.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582913153580508690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDz-7AcafZMfxEUBySfJqJS2gc748d1EmDEXo31gGWn-Ok9BkP3fKnxFyqDJq5AHz7_dCkns5nPDqO9AGBUnaYotW9C8f85dgqPNxUeL03wlgBFQzaLM3ZKXcdy8FLc_A1kb_02h8x8w/s320/Homeschooling+with+Waldorf+1+012.JPG" /></a><br />They were thrilled to get a few Ostheimer horses to add to their collection and some used Ostheimers we found from a special mama who was ready to pass them along. <div></div><br /><div>And I will be returning to the blogging world soon to share some lesson plans. Am excited to announce that my friend, <a href="http://celebratetherhythmoflife.blogspot.com/2011/03/wonder-of-childhood.html">Lisa</a>, has something very special planned for everyone that I'm playing a tiny part in...and I will be bringing back my shop soon! I've missed working on projects, but had to take a much needed break.</div><div><br /></div><div>Hugs to all my friends out there and hope to catch up with everyone soon! Happy weekend!</div></div></div>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08272157134061700589noreply@blogger.com8