On Days Like This

We are back from a week off of schooling. It was not exactly a holiday as we re-did the third level of the house. Or shall I say that Paul painted the walls, changed the baseboards and trim, painted doors and changed lighting. It was a good renovation. It feels like we created a whole new living and learning space. It is so bright and fresh and fantastic.

 I had some time to do some cooking and baking. Turns out I CAN bake now that I realized my oven is about 50 degrees off. After adjusting for the difference things have been coming out of the oven looking better than ever. We had pumpkin scones with a spiced glaze.

And my favorite... soup! This weeks fare was Carrot Habanero. So thick and jam packed with veg. And the heat of the habanero, subtle but not too subtle. Just enough to warm your insides.

Oh, and I have discovered if I put the leftover hot soup into a mason jar it seals itself so I can keep it in the fridge for a little longer before eating it again. Brilliant!

We also used the week of holidays to prepare the yard for winter and clean up the garage and basement. Good stuff. We spent time outside stacking wood for those cold winter nights. We filled bird feeders and raked up some leaves.

 Speaking of feeders we witnessed two oddities to these parts. In the same week we saw a hummingbird (in October!!) flitting around the last of the blooming roses and we also saw a pair of Blue jays. A first for us and very exciting for little Miss A. I also saw a fledgling Merlin. Kind of late in the year but I know little about raptors so maybe not. The picture isn't very clear but in truth I was afraid to be dive bombed by its mama. Falcons are fast!

And today we were "back to class" and the day went so well. It was a perfect homeschooling day if there even is such a thing. We got most of the book learning done in the early part of the day. Math, spelling, reading lesson, grammar. She had a little break and we did some crafting. Paint, linen and apples and an ironing board. She was so excited to use the iron but so proud that she did. Pictures to follow when the project is complete. After we cleaned up from the project we did some science. The Water Cycle to be exact. This girl loves all things Math and Science. We stopped for lunch and after we played around with some musical instruments. We mimicked rhythms and sang some songs together. We tossed beanbags and she finished reading her fourth chapter book aloud to me since September. Good good stuff.

I want to remember the way this day unfolded. I want to learn from the rhythm of it. It ebbed and flowed in a way that I imagined this little learning path unfolding for us. For her.
Although I don't expect every day to be this darn good, it is nice to have these touchstones to keep us plodding along this extraordinary life!