Lesson #30 Poetry Tea Party and Valentines

Poetry Tea Party! Tea time with poetry, that is what we had! The kids read a poem they had written or one they found in a book. Some read several as they enjoyed their tea (or lemonade ) and the poetry books lying around the table. Evie chose to get all dressed up, and looked very lovely. We also exchanged valentines and shared treats. Lastly we did a valentine/poetry art project. They each made an animal/monster/alien out of hearts and paper, and then wrote or taped a poem to their creation.

Evie and Alexa

Lesson #29 Prayer Flags and Buddhism

Prayer Flags are usually hung in groups of 12

close up of most of Evie's six

my six from starting at the end by the tree

one of Evie's

one of mine

This year we have began to study a few different world religions. We have recently studied Buddhism and made our own prayer flags. Although we are not Buddhist, we can appreciate much that Buddhism has to offer. One thing that Evie found interesting and appealing is there is no deity in Buddhism. No heaven/hell, or forms of. Buddhism revolves around the fact that humans suffer, how we can prevent and eliminate suffering , I find this is very interesting. The path of enlightenment is one that many can follow and add to any religion, helping us all lead a better life, be kinder to others, and eliminate some of the suffering in our lives.

How do homeschoolers with no specific curriculum study or embrace a subject? Well for this particular subject we have used the section on Buddhism from the Usbourne Guide to World Religions, and the awesome internet resources it has already complied for you as our jumping off place. We researched the internet, watched some great instant documentaries on Buddhism, Tibet, India, China, Burma, and Laos. We love instant play documentaries! As an art project and soul shining activity we made our own prayer flags. Prayer flags in most Buddhist countries are wood block printed with sayings from the Buddha, or prayers from the sacred text of the Buddha. Traditionally in Tibet and other Buddhist believing countries, new flags are hung to help replace the old fading ones on the New Year Day. We hung ours on the Tibetan and Lunar New Year, and we lit incense from Tibet outside to blow in the wind with our flags.

What I loved most about making these was the heart, art, and time spent together in creating these prayers for our selves and others. We spent most of a month working on them. The thought is that in Buddhism, nothing is permanent, so the art on our flags is impermanent, the attachment of our art could lead to suffering, but we fill no suffering as our flags are now hanging in the elements.  The Buddhist thought that the wind will carry our prayers out into the world, surrounding and helping all they touch is a beautiful thing.

Lesson #28 Art Day and Mud Day

Once a month we have art day with some of our homeschool friends, and I lead the class. Sometimes we have a large group and sometimes a small one. This time due to several families being sick it was a small one, which is still great. Evie likes to spend time in the woods in the fall/winter when there are no bugs! She asked if we could have art day at our house, we never have because our house is so small! We had unnatural weather for January in KY, 67 degrees this day! So I agreed and we had friends over to make art and play in the mud. I didn't go mudding outside with them so I have no pics of that. However, from the dirty wet clothes and happy faces they had a great time.

We worked on creating prayer flags, talked a bit about the history behind them,and discussed attachment as part of human suffering. Evie and I have been making our own as part of our World Religion Studies,which I will post more about later. A fun time!

Lesson #27 The Red Tent

The Red Tent is something I hope to share with my daughter for many many moons to come...this Red Tent gathering took place at a friend's house in Lexington, Ky. There were about 50 women and it was a beautiful experience. It was wonderful for Evie to experience the empowering beauty of women coming together for the sacred purpose of sharing, creating, crying, laughing, singing, and eating with other women in all stages of life. 

This is copied from our red tent homepage:

"This is a gathering for women in honor of our cycles as women whatever phase of life we are in. You can come if you are a maiden, mother or crone. It's a movement started by Alisa Starkweather based a little on the book the Red Tent by Anita Diamant. Women come together, wearing something red. A sacred safe tent like place has been created with tapestries, candles and we eat, share stories, sing, dance, share our stories, laugh, cry. Each woman adds something to the temple and we together co-create this into something empowering, healing, creative and beautiful. Typically this will be held on or near the new moon. You are encouraged to bring a journal and pen. Please always respect the confidentiality of everyone in the group as we want to keep this a safe and sacred place for women to share." 

Somehow we were not in the pics taken, but I will make sure to take one or two next month. Evie is already excited to go and so am I! 

                               

Lesson #26 First Formal Dance- A Formal Birthday Party!

A friend of Evie's, a lovely and sweet girl, had a Formal Sweet 16 party. Evie and her other homeschool buddies went together and had a great time. It really was the equivalent of a school dance, and that is exactly how it felt when I dropped her off! I really wanted to say something like...now don't be kissing boys outside, but since she would have been like, "MOM!" I didn't....heehe...I am glad she had this opportunity to enjoy this party and I know there will be more!

Her look was very classic and she looked just beautiful!

Evie looking all Hollywood

some of the kids out front of the building rented, Evie in the back to the left

Lesson#25 2012 Holiday Fun

 I have been slacking on my blog...so many things going on the end of the year that I will now have to add after the fact...oh well. That is how the holidays roll right :) This year we are grateful for the time that was spent with friends and family. Evie's dad was here visiting from California for a few weeks, we had friends over Christmas Night and as always spent actual Christmas Day at home together just cooking and enjoying each other and our gifts. It is a fabulous tradition we established years ago. We see family all around Christmas Day, such as the Eve, the day after, weeks before, ect. However, on Christmas Day itself we don't leave our home and it is a fabulous thing. No hustle and bustle just the enjoyment of our own health, good food, and each other. This year we walked in the woods a bit, and created our own giving alter in the woods, thanking the Universe, the Divine, Mother Nature, God, all names of the higher power, for our blessed family and for the blessed day. The pics are a little askew, they wouldn't aline right!

Me in my awesome new coat made of recycled sweaters, playing with Evie's Henna tattoo pen, opening her new elven quiver, and making ornaments with friends

We like to play dress up in the woods...yes we are those weird people and love it! 

Evie with her new utility belt on, our fabulous meal, and me and Mark.

Evie 14, Destiny 15...her comment was, "I am older than you again."

Lesson #24 First Archery Meet of 2012-2013 Season

Evie has been shooting archery for a local private Christian school for 3yrs. She has improved greatly and loves this sport. I love this sport for many reasons. On a practical level it is low-key practices and meets, not 3x a week for many weeks at a time like other sports. Mostly I love it because she can achieve and succeed individually as well as with her team. This was their first competition for the season and her score was 275 out of a possible 300! GO Evie!!

Cool before there was "Katniss Everdeen"-not that we don't love Katniss :)

All of Evie's are in the Yellow

I love that they score each other with a member of a competing team