Weaving and Bike Riding

Photo taken with Instagram

Kye has been working on his rainbow stick weaving today, he sat there for about 45 minutes totally absorbed in what he was doing. He just has to weave the last colour band of mauve and then his scarf is finished. Caiden is going to make one next.

Other wonderful news is that Kye can ride his bike, by himself! He is thrilled! Isn't it fantastic when children reach certain milestones, sometimes early, sometimes later but always at the perfect time that is right for each of them. 

Have a lovely day, I'm off to find a sunny spot and read Wuthering Heights...
Linda

Mountain Biking...

Early on Sunday morning Richard and our three older children set off for a town called Walkerville, which is over an hour away. They were taking part in a 9.5 km mountain bike race. There was great excitement and they rode so well through the extremely muddy landscape. The mist was so thick when they arrived that the start time had to be moved back half and hour. Caiden arrived at the finish amongst the top 10 and the girls finished in the top 15! They all received medals and can't wait for their next race:) I am so happy they have found a sport they all enjoy and I will soon be joining them too:) (I need to get fit first...) I really love the last photo in this post, it was taken by Richard, they all look like warriors emerging from out of the mist after battle...

Gratitude Thursday...

Richard's dog bite is almost healed...

Jenna is cycling in the green and black...

Today, I am grateful for:

• The signs of Autumn slowly starting to show...
• Our one and only pumpkin that grew in the compost heap, self sewn from kitchen veggie scraps, ready to be picked...
• Another African Flower Hexagon almost finished and I just can't seem to stop making them, I am sure there are plenty of other things that need to be done around here besides crochet, but oh... I am having so much fun! I have found this lovely cotton in my stash and it is perfect for my crochet project :)
• Richard working from home this afternoon and helping Kye ride to his bike for the first time...
• Newly planted veggie beds...
• We are so happy for Jen, her photo is in the newspaper for the cycling race she took part in, she is beaming with joy!
• For the beauty that surrounds us, that can be seen in a single flower...

What are you grateful for today?
In gratitude,
Linda
xo

Our Days in Snapshots...

A new week has started and we have been rather busy over the last few days... Here are some snapshots of what we have been enjoying...

I love this crystal pendant that hangs in our classroom window, each morning we are greeted with the most beautiful rainbows before we begin our lessons...

I know... can you believe this sweet puppy... she still thinks she is a tiny baby pup that can fit on the top of the couch. This is where she waits for Richard to drive down the driveway each evening...

Sunday was Jenna and Erin's first mountain bike race, The Dunblane March Hare Race, they rode 10km in 35 and 40 minutes! Yay... I will be joining them for the next one:)

I have been spinning up some Merino roving and thought I would ply this one, real peacock colours. (Have I ever told you I love rainbows...:)

Erin and Kye have been making the sweetest snowmen from clay. I love it when the older children do crafts with the younger ones...

Charlie... need I say more?

Oooh I must share the link to these amazingly beautiful gloves, they are a free pattern! Enjoy:)

Tuesday Morning

Today has been such a wonderful day so far, I have been busy with my dye pots, dyeing up cochineal yarn to knit my Easter Rabbits. What a beautiful colour... so dusky pink and lilac, I love it! I have just hung the first batch up to dry. I soaked my Merino yarn in water overnight, filled my dye pot up with water this morning, added some Alum for a mordant and when the water was hot, I added the cochineal, the pot was suddenly bursting with colour! Once the water was ready, I added my yarn and let it simmer for one hour,took the pot off the heat and removed and rinsed the yarn once it was cool and hung it out to dry in the shade.

This is a wonderful book about natural dyes, it really is easy to dye with natural dyes and you will have so much fun if you decide to give it a try:)

We also managed some school work today:) Erin is busy with her Mineralogy block for grade 6 and so today we have learnt all about volcanoes. How they form, what happens when they erupt and we even did a little experiment out of the Childcraft book called Our Earth. What a fantastic resource these books are! I managed to buy some from Betterworld books they are amazing! To make our volcano, we used a shallow cardboard box, a glass jar, sand around the outside of the jar for the volcano.  Into the glass we poured 3 large spoons of baking soda, red dye, water and a glass of vinegar. The end result was wonderful and really looked like a volcano!



Jen is busy with Chemistry, Grade 8, she is learning all about ph and we have been using litmus paper to test, lemon, juice, vinegar etc... for acid or alkeline ph solutions. It has been such fun. So this afternoon she has asked if we can go down to our lake and test the water ph there as well:) I am thrilled she is so keen to do more, I really love that we have the freedom to learn in our own time in our own way!

Last night Erin lost one of her first incisor teeth, she was so excited, she put her tooth in a special tooth box and left it for the tooth fairy... we she was so surprised to see this adorable little chicken waiting for her this morning in place of her tooth:) Aren't these little birds adorable?? I found them on Swirly Arts on Etsy. I will definately be back for more.

And here is my love, Richard... doing what he adores... mountain biking. He rode in the Valentine's Dirt Ride last Saturday and he had the most wonderful day... Tonight, he has invited me on a belated Valentine's date, the day after Valentines, the restaurants are much quieter and that's how we like it... just the two of us... I am so looking forward to it, I think I'm in love...
xo