Crafting and Curriculum

So far this week has been almost all good. There was a little bit of upset on Tuesday night, but nothing that is worth my time dwelling on.

Once again Summer , Jasmine and Charlie spent All of the time they could on the boat with Paul. Jasmine is Especially enjoying her time on the sea, so much so me and mum have nick-named her salty.
They hoped to do some mackerel spinning on Sunday morning but the weather didn't allow it. On getting out of the harbour , it was a quick once around the fort and back in to the safety of the harbour. Hopefully this weekend will be less windy.

Saturday morning Whilst the others wee out fishing Summer took Her reborn doll up to see mum and Gypsie Eva and i headed to the library to return some overdue books. On the way there we noticed a garden craft fair and i couldn't resist a little look. I'm glad i did , there were some beautiful products, mostly cute knitted items and gorgeous woodwork. i picked up this little puzzle for Eva. Iv decided to keep it from her now and to give it to her for her birthday.

Saturday afternoon was spent gardening. I weeded some of  the front garden and the raised bed. Not that the onions and garlic have been harvested the cats from around the road seem to think its a huge wooden litter tray. So that all needed to be removed too. And of course i had a little helper.

Sunday morning Everyone was out on the boat apart from Me , Eva and Gypsie. I decided to put it off no longer and get all my paper work organised for the new academic year. And my goodness there is a lot of it.I spent at least three hours finding bits n bobs i had scattered around the home, putting pages in order and generally faffing about. I also cooked a roast for the returning unsuccessful; fishermen and women.
This year we will be following the same  Waldorf curriculum as last year from Waldorf Essentials.

http://waldorfessentials.com/

Its fantastic, i really cant fault it. Its very flexible,affordable and has a four day plan. It works brilliantly for us.

We will also continue to use the seasonal guides from here,

http://littleacornlearning.com/afterschoolbooks.html

I really should have got a bigger filing system.






 On Tuesday i finished up writing out our schedule. It looks like a lot but as i have four school aged children and they are all following a separate curriculum  its going be quite full.

Each month is divided in to four weeks, each week has a section for each child and what they will be studying that particular week.
Then at the bottom of each month is a separate box for craft and activity ideas.




here is what September looks like.


SEPTEMBER

wk 1                                                                                     wk2                                                               

JAZ:  Joan Of Arc                                                                 JAZ; Religious movements of the renaissance

GYP: Physics of silence and sound.                                        GYP: Social studies/ Geography

SUM:Geography- reviewing maps/keys.                                SUM: Atlantis studies

CHAR:  S.T. Francis                                                             CHAR:   S.T Jerome/S.T Christopher                                                            

wk 3                                                                                    wk4                                                               

JAZ: Art of the renaissance                                                 JAZ: Art of the renaissance continued

GYP: Geography                                                                GYP: Geography

SUM: Australia studies                                                       SUM: Geography of the U.K

CHAR:  S.T George                                                           CHAR: S.T. Michael/Michaelmas

THEMES                                                                                                                                                    

THE FAMILY AND WORKING TOGETHER
~Photo safari, Meditation spiral, learn some new autumn songs.
SQUIRRELS NUTS AND PREPARATION
~Jam making , twig and acorn photo frames.
AUTUMN LEAVES AND SEPARATION
~Leaf lanterns, Autumn wreaths and crowns, Autumn fairies
APPLES AND HARVESTING
~apple recipes, apple printing e.c.t.


I think its going to be good fun. We will still be doing our main lesson in the morning and the kids will have all afternoon free and we will share walks and craft and bake together during these afternoons if they wish to.

I envisage things getting a little more chaotic in January when baby number six arrives.


so as well as all the planning , what else has been going on ..........



On Sunday afternoon Charlie made a fishing rod. I told him we would go down to the beach the following day. We headed off feeling quite optimistic, the sky was blue-ish and we went to the shop for new crabbing lines before going on down to the beach.wear after about minutes the heavens opened and we all got soaked  (i say we , but jasmine had been sensible enough to leave earlier than the rest of us)
We hurried home, peeled of our soaking clothes and drank warm hot chocolate.

Charlies fishing rod

 although the sun re appeared the majority of the afternoon was spent drawing, colouring and beading.

 Oh, and the little man of the house asked me to give him tattoos the same as Daddy. of course i obliged.

On Wednesday we had a very creative morning .

Charlie and Jasmine helped me make a gorgeous sixteen point window star . it turned out so big that it wouldn't fit on any of our windows. It looks beautiful with the sun streaming through .And according to jasmine it looks equally as beautiful at night from outside with the hall lights on.



Gypsie was working on a camp-site which she was making out of tissue paper and a paper plate. I will take a photo upon completion. she started making a lantern too, shes been working on it today as well.

We needed to go out to the shops for a few things yesterday and Summer asked if we could look in the charity shop. I'm so glad she did . i got all this for just £2.
Charlie has a jolly phonics dictionary and and exercise book that used to belong to my sister so i think he will really enjoy these.




After lunch and a big old tidy up, after all our crafting, we headed up to my mum and dads house in order to see my Nan, auntie and uncle. Charlie decided he wanted to take his great nan a gift. I suggested a small poesy from the garden.







Of course nan loved her flowers, she told Charlie that his roses beat my uncles. That made us laugh as we do absolutely nothing to them except perhaps a prune in March if i remember.In fact these roses were rescued from a mass of nettles just last week.

We had a lovely afternoon catching up .Summer was most happy as she took a pram full of reborn babies to show my nan and auntie, they have reborn dolls too.She chatted happily away to my auntie about how she weights them and puts them all together.

Upon returning home , Paul soon arrived home from work with his sister in tow .It was lovely to see her , it had been such a long time.

Today has been another gorgeous day. Iv been baking , mowing the lawn and sorting through our craft supplies. The kids have been crafting, watching TV, skyping friends, playing outside and then took a dip in the pool this afternoon.
Charlie also decided he wanted to have some sort of sale. He decided as his posy of flowers had been so lovely yesterday with my help he would make some more.


unfortunately  he didn't sell any , i think the road works just up the road where not helping matters.

Jasmine , Summer and Charlie are really looking forward to tomorrow .They are going of to Cowes in a boat with Paul and his dad to watch the fireworks that mark the end of  Cowes week.

                                                                 XXX