In Our Home

{In Our Home} 

The cooler temperatures and ever shortening days are not slowing us down. As we are watching the leaves slowly change on the mountainside our home has become a flurry of activities, projects, and work. Autumn is one of my favorite times of the year and we are always crafting and creating autumn in our home. One of my new favorite books is The Artful Year by Jean Van't Hul. She has activities and crafts by the season and holiday.We created an indoor tree with changing leaves from her book and it looks so pretty. The girls love having little performances and using it as their backdrop. We

made some of my favorite autumn leaves using filter paper leaf cutouts and liquid watercolors. They always turn out beautifully and look wonderful hanging on the windows of our home. I think this may a craft I do even after my children are grown. I created an autumn sensory bin with beans as the base and added acorns, leaves, and even some feathers. The girls have been playing a lot of Bird Bingo these last few days and have been especially interested in the migration of birds and butterflies. I ordered as bunch of Autumn themed books and planned crafts or activities to go with them over the next month. It is a welcome shift from summer and I think the cooler weather helps our family focus a little more on what is happening inside our home. 

I also don't see any complaints from my oldest who would much rather learn at her pace and through her own ways than have all day homeschooling. I have adopted the attitude of doing what is necessary to help her progress through first grade at a good pace but not allowing the worries of achievement overshadow childhood and learning through exploration. It has been hardest on me because I am trying to re-learn how to be a teacher for my child. She is an independent learner and does best with simple instruction and lots of time for independent learning. It is something to watch her just pick up things and do it. 

Today, we are off to do a morning hike and enjoy the mountains. I am hoping to be in this space a lot more now and stop letting Instagram eat up my blog. 

Autumn Sensory Bin 

Bird Bingo

Watercolor leaves

Oh this boy, no worries or fears for him. He gives mama grey hairs everyday with his desire to climb anything and everything. 

What is a tree in the fall without a black cat?