As summer comes to an end, I’m preparing for our return to lessons and our homeschooling rhythm. I’ve walked in my mind through the seasons of the year, planning for the changes that will unfold in the months to come. The year of seasons forms a cycle like breathing; expansion at the summer solstice like … Continue reading
This Spring, my daughter (aged 7 1/2) pulled out the Story of the Root Children from her kinder days. I think I tried to interest her in gnome and fairy stories, as I pondered the elemental beings from Steiner’s work, but I thought it didn’t really take, back when she was 3 or 4. Now, it’s … Continue reading
The nights are longer, the days are darker, and we love to wander through the dim and mysterious redwood forests at this time of year. We wait with excitement for the glimmer of light, growing to a flame, that comes with festivals, lighting candles, and gradually, the return of the sun! Here are some winter songs … Continue reading
Feliz Otoño — Happy Autumn! Uhuu . . . el otoño llegó . . . Castañas y bellotas Muchas otras cosas Que cogen los niños Con mucho cariño. Uhuu . . . el otoño llegó . . . Autumn brings the last of the harvest, many fruits like manzanas, uvas, granadas, and even giant calabazas! … Continue reading
Mi hijo, the little Chigüiro, ambles through an urban prairie meadow, the grasses tickling his elbows. It’s green: finally, what a relief! After six years of drought, the rains have returned to California, and with them the magic of wildflowers. I feel like I can breathe again. We peek among the grasses to find the … Continue reading
Those last summer days were heaven . . . I felt totally in the flow with my two children, so present and alive in the moment, at the beach humming with the warmth of the sand and sky, the calm and rhythmic waves rolling. We were so in sync, our days just rolled by with … Continue reading
It’s August! We have hit our stride, riding the summer rhythm. We’re relaxing into our predictable days and weeks, enjoying each other. The two kids play together so much, so cute!! No interruptions to our flow: no commute to school, no rush to be on time, no tears from making up after the separation. The jealousy of little … Continue reading
After pondering the layers of meaning to be found in June solstice festivals, I’ve been gathering South American solstice traditions that have meaning to our family. I’m not exactly sure how they connect to the spiritual meaning of the solstice. I hope that while I look for meaning, my experience will come across to my children … Continue reading
What is childhood summer all about? Fun in the sun, relaxing, no alarm clocks or school bells, climbing trees, swimming, freedom, sunshine, and magic. It seems so obvious, so why am I so unsatisfied with this explanation? I keep wondering about the meaning of summer . . . the deeper meaning. If in the fall we … Continue reading
Urban life can feel chaotic to young children. I see it’s a stress for my daughter. The city never sleeps! The sirens, streetlights, the vroom of cars, and even the ding-ding of the streetcars continue late into the night. Work days end late and push back dinner time. It’s not easy to keep consistent bedtimes … Continue reading
Chigüiri-cosas 