In the Beginning

What a productive homeschool day! =)=) Bean is so excited, every morning, to see what we will be doing. Today, among other things, we read the Creation Story and made beeswax animals. Bean made a turtle and he turned out super cute! We even conned Daddy into making a fish! Beeswax is great for little people just beginning to write because it strengthens their fingers.

We began a new book, "How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World," and I am anxiously awaiting notice that several other apple - themed books I have requested from the library are ready for pick up. Bean is ready to make apple pie and apple cake and apple sauce. She is steadily eating her way through the apples we picked at the orchard, so we better get busy cooking something before they are all gone!

5 days all in a row - like chocolate chips!

Our first week of homeschool comes to a close! I have to say that I have really had a good time with my little Bean. Today we finished up the 5 senses, began to make our 5 senses book -- she drew a copy of my ear in it and I must say I'm impressed! We practiced her alphabet and numbers, read a story, did some chocolate chip math - YUM! for everyone involved. Then she coloured a bit. Just to reinforce the visual connection between writing and reading from left to right, she coloured some shapes I drew out, from left to right, in order. She discusses this with me as she colours, because we don't call her "Princess Constant Chatter" for nothing.

She began by colouring the edges of the shapes and as she filled them in, she noted the different shapes she was creating inside the original shapes and the colours she was using. "This is kind of a yellow green. That one is a yellow green too, but it is more green than yellow. This one looks like pickles in a jar." Then she composed a song, as she coloured, about pickles in a jar high up on a shelf. Finally, for the last shape, she said "I'm going to colour this one my favourite colour, periwinkle --which she found right away. As she coloured in the oval, she said "Huh. I made a trapezoid. A trapezoid in my periwinkle oval."

Funny little Bean. You see why I love homeschool?

Apple Pickin' Bean!

TONS of fun today!! We went apple picking with another homeschooling family. Bean picked a full half bushel BY HERSELF. If you ask her, she'll tell you its because she's in kindergarten now. I think we each ate at least three apples a piece in the orchard - they were that good. We're planning to make applesauce and the apple cake recipe from the book we're reading. Bean would like to can some and store them in the attic so we'll have apples all winter. I guess all our"Little House" reading has made quite an impression.

A little note for those gasping at the picture -- (Hi Mom. Hi Doodle) -- she's not nearly as high up as she looks. =) =)

Letters!

Yesterday my little Bean formed all of her letters with these very cool wooden pieces from the program "Handwriting Without Tears." Can't speak about the actual program, since all we have done is play with the letters. She's having a blast. She's written the alphabet out each morning and I can already see improvement after only 3 days! September is a review month for us and letters and numbers are things she already knows a bit about. We won't start any new stuff until October.

We also read a beautiful story called "The Apple Cake" today and Bean and I both loved it. Apples is something we're focusing on in September. I'm currently making several felt trees, followed by a woodsman and a fairy, so I can begin telling her "The Story of the Honest Woodsman" ASAP - I love this story also, but I just learned about it two days ago, so my props department is behind. =) =)

School Year's Resolutions

Kelly over at Pass the Torch: http://2passthetorch.com/2007/08/28/school-years-resolutions-call-for-bloggers/challenged homeschooling bloggers to write out our school year's resolutions, so here goes:

1. To do my very best to make sure that, no matter what, my little Bean will stay as excited about homeschool as she is right now.

2. To remember learning is not a marathon or a sprint, its the most awesome road trip of all time. The ultimate "It's not about the destination, its about the journey."

3. To stick to my Waldorf beliefs and WHY I know Waldorf is the best choice for our family, regardless of what *insert random child's name* is doing in kindergarten, or beyond, for that matter.

4. To keep in mind there was no workbook or curriculum or "drills" to teach my sweet little one year old LoveBug how to walk, and yet, within two short months, she has gone from wobbling to RUNNING.

5. To cherish these girls' childhoods and the gift that they are to us all - even on days I am considering sending them to a military academy. =) =)

Bean's First Day of Kindergarten

Shoes not required.

We began kindergarten with a candle lighting and a verse, then a circle and a story. Next, a bit of letters and a bit of writing and finished off the day by building a log cabin for Mary and Laura (we are three books into the Little House Series) closed with a circle and Bean went downstairs to the playroom with a Trader Joe's bag full of silks. I've heard some wooden blocks noises and some singing, as her kindergarten journey is off and running!!

Ahead for September:

- apple picking, apple crafts, making butter, celebrating Michaelmas (The first of our fall festivals. Its a Waldorf thing - I wouldn't miss them for anything!), forming numbers out of beeswax, Bible stories, a bit more letters and writing and some chocolate chip math. =D =D

Crossing the Rainbow Bridge

We had such a wonderful morning at the park, celebrating with one of our fellow homeschoolers as she crossed the rainbow bridge. Crossing the rainbow bridge is a beautiful Waldorf ceremony signifying a child's moving from Kindergarten to the lower grades. Many Waldorf schools call it a Rose Ceremony, where the 8th graders buddy up with a rising first grader and present them a rose. Four years later, when those 8th graders graduate, the first graders (now 4th graders) present them with roses during the commencement ceremony. I love Waldorf and all of its beautiful ceremonies and festivals!!!

So, we met at this beautiful park not far from our houses and decorated one of the wooden bridges with silks of every colour. Molly wore a wreath of fresh flowers in her hair and carried a beautiful cosmo flower from her garden. Before she crossed, I told her what an exciting time it was to be entering first grade, how it becomes her responsibility to pass on what she learns to children who are younger than she is (she has 2 little sisters) and how I hope she always loves to learn. Then as we sang, she crossed the bridge from me and the younger children on one side, to her Mama waiting for her on the other side.

"Red, orange, golden, yellow and green,

The prettiest sight you've ever seen.

Blue and violet, shades to behold,

Heavenly wisdom before us unfold"

Bean thought it was great and can hardly wait until it's her turn.