An Enchanted Childhood Playschool ~ Summer Break ~ Week Five

Another great week, with hours spend outside everyday! Hikes, gardening, creeking... this is the life!

Each day we have done a little berry picking, nibbling as we go. But we did manage to save enough back to make berry juice to paint with!  The children loved it!

A few times a week, we go to Poppaw John's garden (this is Bunny's great-grandpa) to gather veggies.  This was Friday's pickings... minus several carrots eaten along the way!

We couldn't help but celebrate International Mud Day!

Linked up with:

Come and Play Outside, Link and Learn, Country Kids, Tuesday Tots,

Fun Sparks, Made by Little Hands,  It's Playtime, Learning Laboratory,

Outdoor Play Party, The Magic Onion, For the Kids Friday, Family Frolics

I was featured at: Made By Little Hands!

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual inspired by SouleMama. A photo capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

That heartbreaking moment when you find out the strawberries are gone... until next summer.

Crafting Along with needle and thREAD

I haven't crafted a bit this past week.  Being 39 weeks pregnant, working full time at our playschool, chasing my own 2 year old Bunny, and NESTING has kept be quite busy.  Each day that passes I find more and more things I want to do to "get ready"... like taking a spur of the minute trip to Ikea (2.5 hours away) this past Sunday to buy the coveted sofa bed, making energy balls, cleaning out one more cabinet...

So I thought I would share with you something I made a few months ago... 

Introducing the Mama Doll !

Mama Doll was not forced to birth on her back..

but she was happy to co-operate for the sake of science a crafting blog post!

A little skin to skin bonding time!

I wanted a way to make birthing "normal" to Bunny, who will most likely be present for the birth of Little Sister Squirrely!  Since these pics, I have made a little cord and a little felt placenta, as well! In the 1st picture, poor Mama Doll's dress is quite wrinkled from being pulled up when she gives birth! An important thing to remember (which I did) is to tack the pink inside (her vagina... birthing canal.. whatever you call it!  We call it the birthing canal when talking to Bunny about it.) up into the mama to prevent those dreadful vaginal prolapses when the baby comes out lol  We have had a lot of learning, that looks a lot like fun play time, with Mama Doll and her little one!

What are we reading.. another GREAT "getting ready for a home birth book"--

 Hello Baby by Jenni Overend!

The "belly" today.. 39.5 weeks! I am feeling great!!

Great as in wonderful, as well as great as in "great with child"!!

Linking up to:

Shine on Friday, needle and thREAD,  Keep Calm Craft On,

Happy Family Times, Creative Friday, Made With Love Link Up,

Homemade By You, Made With Love, A Pinteresting Party, and WIP Wednesday

Wonderfull (Full of Wonder) Wednesday

Looking for the wonder in everyday life! 

I'd love for you to join me on this journey. 

If you find wonder along the way, please leave a link in the comments,

so others can share in your wonder!

There is definitely something wonderfull about wild raspberry picking eating with Nana.

Especially when a Great Blue Heron flies up out of the creek and right over your head! 

This is what made it home... hmmm.

And to make it even more wonderfull, we read Blueberries for Sal, cuddled up on the couch...

AFTER getting washed up!

Well this looks very familar!

What a WonderFull morning!



If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder without any such gift from the fairies, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in” ~ Rachel Carson

How to Tuesday--Birthing Banner

Another activity we did at my Blessingway was to have the women write birth affirmations, encouragements, or scripture on a 10 centimeter circle. Yep, 10 cm. As in how far one must dilate to be "fully dilated".

Later we glued the circles to larger circles cut from scrapbook paper and then strung them on raffia (you could use twine, ribbon, add beads, whatever you wanted)

This one was writted by my 80 year old grandmother--so special!

Today we hung it up in the dining area, where the labor (maybe birthing) pool will be!

Baby, we are ready!!!

Linked up to Shine on Friday, Homemade By You, Too Cute Tuesday
 Creative Friday, Magic Onion,  A Pinteresting Party, Wonderful Wednesdays,
Made With Love, and Teach Me Tuesdays

The Last Days... Surely!

Still here.

Still pregnant.

39+ weeks.

It's Ok!

I went 41 weeks with Bunny.

I am excited for Squirrely.

I am enjoying these last days.

Everything is ready.

I am ready!

The "traditional" Monday belly shot!

The last days of having only one nursling.

The curls!

Wonder if Squirrely will have curls?
Blue eyes or hazel?
Dark hair or blonde?
I can hardly wait to meet her!


Linked up with:
My Joy-Filled Life

Summer Links--Week Six

It has been so much fun looking through the various "Summer Links" submitted to the All Year Round Blog Carnival: Summer.  I thought it would be fun to pick a few of my favorite links from the previous week and highlight them each Sunday (I normally don't blog on Sundays, so this would be short and sweet!)

I keep forgetting to do this with our Playschool children... sipping honeysuckle! 

All Things Beautiful has a little tutorial in case you are blessed to have honeysuckle and somehow missed this Summer Bucket List item!

Mama Pea Pod has a great Magnifying Glass Activity that must go on our "do soon" list!

There were several great ideas for celebrating the Summer Solstice.  We did nothing in the way of celebrating... because *I* thought the baby would be born that day, so I didn't plan ahead for any related activities! haha

Love in the Suburbs has several fun ideas, such as baking this sun bread!

We (myself and all the co-hosts) would love if you'd join us in this fun sharing of summer ideas!  Be sure to visit my All Year Round Blog Carnival: Summer Page (at the top of my my blog) and link up all your fun summer posts!!

An Enchanted Childhood Playschool ~ Summer Break ~ Week Four

Another fun week at playschool!

Harvesting some lavender led us to making some flower "poundings"!

These children love to roll down hills...

and climb up hills...

and run to the creek!

They like holding hands with friends...

and cousins!

But most of all they LOVE creeking and crabbing!

haha  



Having fun with~
Teach Me Tuesday, Tuesday Tots, Happy Family Times, For the Kids Friday,
The Magic Onion, Outdoor Play, Enchanted Thursdays, Country Kids,
It's Playtime, Learning Laboratory, Show and Tell, and Link and Learn