Road To Joy

A Halloween Circus

2011-11-11T07:52:00.006-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls...Welcome, to the Miller Family Halloween Circus!

Get your Tickets here!

Our ticket taker is rather grim...

Incredible and Delicious Refreshments!

Music and Laughter!

A Daring Sabre Dance!

The Amazing Floating Lady!

The Incredible Talking, Singing Head of the Wizard Schmockoff!

The Horrible Harpy!

The Tall Man!

Every year for the past 5 year our family has thrown a big Halloween party. We actually did a big party the first year we moved here too. It was a harvest themed party and we invited all our new neighbors. We had been told that it had been a tradition in the neighborhood to have a harvest party on Halloween so we thought it would be fun to host it. It was fun, and a great way to gather with new friends. But the following two years, we were so overwhelmed with remodeling our home and then recovering from that, I just couldn't do a big party. Another neighbor did one...but we were busy and didn't attend. Finally, we decided it was time to bring it back. We set a theme - based on the Keats poem "La Belle Dame Sans Merci", made a Haunted Forest amongst our fruit trees, cooked tons of good food, and invited everyone we knew. It was greatly successful and so much fun! We decided that it would become a tradition, and have stuck to it ever since.

Our Halloween party theme this year was inspired by the circus in the movie Mirrormask, with a little bit of Mommy Fortuna's Travelling Carnival from The Last Unicorn thrown in. We began planning it several months ago, and I think it all came together to be our most magical party yet. We scoured vintage clothing stores and thrift stores for the bits and pieces of costumes and decorations, made plaster masks and sewed stripey tablecloths, re-purposed tacky Halloween decorations into awesome sideshow characters, and hung tons of paper lanterns and colored lights. There were only two things we fell short on - although we had our little white pony all brushed out and glittered, she never got her unicorn horn and never made it out to the main circus area, and....the harpy was supposed to have water balloon er...chests...and we just didn't get to it. She was nice and squalky though, and was quite entertaining until she felt she had enough attention and turned and pouted in her corner for the rest of the night.

We had beautiful weather, and it was a truly lovely evening for all of us. It is such a joy to share with our family and friends this way every year.

Patriot Day

2011-09-11T12:00:00.001-07:00

In memory of 9/11 and with love in our hearts for all those fighting for freedom, here are some patriotic images from around the house - including our little immigrant from Fröken Skicklig in Germany ;)

Happy to be 8!

2011-09-10T16:50:00.008-07:00

Elsa was absolutely radiant on her 8th birthday! She woke up so excited and happy, immediately put on her new dress, opened her most anticipated present (a little set of handmade fairy dolls), and got ready for her baptism. She was so excited to be baptised on her birthday! Surrounded by family and friends who love her, she was glowing all day long!

An Enchanting Day

2011-03-17T12:14:00.003-07:00

A chance encounter with Twig, the wandering fairy the moment we stepped inside the gates. Two little princesses listened in awe to her sweet fairy pipes and held out thier hands for a shiny green fairy stone.

Robin flew in the rigging like a first-rate pirate.

A break for lunch - giant roasted turkey legs, broccoli & cheese soup served in a boule, shepherds pie, onion pasty. We picnicked on the grass under the shade of the trees, soft breeze blowing, sounds of pipes and flutes and harp drifting through the air.

Jesse & Lucy relaxing in the dappled light of the warm spring sun.

Jill, with friends Katie and Barry, enjoying the merriment and adding plenty of thier own.

It was a beautiful, warm spring day. The boys left tunics and tabards at home and stayed cool in their billowy linen shirtsleeves, the girls in drifting silk and linen skirts, hair in braids or blowing in the cool breeze. We watched tight-rope walkers, jugglers and acrobats, a phantom playing the clarion bells, blacksmiths and glass blowers and a very convincing hypnotist; shopped for scented bath salts and gypsy scarves, wooden swords and dragon puppets; ate strawberry Italian ice, a huge roasted turkey leg, broccoli and cheese soup served in a bread boule; sipped blood orange Italian soda with cream, and finished the day sitting on the grass under a tree, listening to bagpipes and drums and nibbling on strawberry pastries and cinnamon buns. It was a moment spent back in time in an idealized world of magic and romance, beauty and art. Yes, a very enchanting day indeed!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T10:58:00.001-07:00

No Kiddin'...You're My Valentine!

2011-02-14T22:01:00.002-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope you all had as warm and lovely a day as we had here.

xoxo

The Big Freeze

2011-02-11T16:27:00.006-07:00

Walking on the ice in the goat pasture.

Icicles from the garden hose.

Saving the citrus fruit with charcoal burners through the night.

Our frozen yard!

Ice in the pastures, irrigation ditch, and backyard along with some visiting mallards.

We have had some very cold nights this past month. It is unusual for our lows to get much below freezing, especially not for so many nights in a row. But we had 20 degrees farenheit for several nights, and that required extra care for our beautiful citrus trees. We were able to save the fruit, and the trees themselves are hardy, so no worries! We had irrigation the day before the last freeze, and the entire yard was a frozen lake next morning. Of course Robin and Elsa were thrilled, and despite warnings from the doctor to be careful of Elsa's already broken arms, and Robin's sprained foot, they just couldn't stay off the ice! It was a lovely and unexpected visit from King Winter, and thankfully very short. Of course, it is possible we will have more freezing days ahead! If so, we will welcome them with warm hearts and the hope of spring.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-27T09:36:00.002-07:00

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Introducing Rosebelle

2010-12-10T08:45:00.004-07:00

Hello! My name is Rosebelle. Beth made me with the help of a very talented lady named Juliane. This is me in summer looking at all the pretty flowers in our yard.

Beth and all the other ladies in the dollmaking class decided to have a little swap. Everyone was assigned a secret partner to send a gift to. They all had to make an outfit for the dolly and send some little treats and sewing supplies by December 6th. That way we would all have a special present for Christkindle/St. Nicolas Day!

Here is what a nice lady named Nathalie sent to me all the way from Lebanon! Aren't I lucky? I love my warm, furry cape and my soft pants. As soon as I was dressed in my new outfit I was ready to go outside and play in the fall leaves.

Hello little bunny. What shall we do today?

Hmm. Bunny says I should climb the tree and he will find tasty leaves to eat. I'm good at climbing trees so that sounds like fun to me.

I climb very high in the peach tree and find a nice little spot to sit. I look up and remember the peaches we picked this summer and the ugly black bug that was crawling on one. I also remember the birds that shared the peaches with us and built nests in the tree.

I think I can climb a little higher, up to where the nest used to be. But it is hard work and I begin to get hot in my warm cape and hat!

So I let my cape drop down...It catches the air and floats right onto a rock! That's a good spot to leave it.

Now it's time to climb down, but going down is much more difficult than going up! My pretty dress gets caught, and I get bark on my nose!

I drop into a big pile of leaves and lose my hat on the way down. The leaves are fun to jump in!

I sit very still and the Bunny doesn't even see me. But now it's getting cold again and I am ready to go back inside and warm up.

Inside, I sit at my little table by the Christmas tree and drink warm apple cider and eat the yummy Baklava that Nathalie sent from Lebanon. My cheeks get very rosy, and my tummy is warm and happy! I watch the little Santa on my schwibbogen go round and round...

Later, I am very sleepy, but I look at the Christmas tree all lit up and think about Santa again. I wonder what he will bring me for Christmas....

Will You Walk Into My Parlour...(Halloween 2010)

2010-11-10T20:06:00.006-07:00

...said the Spider to the Fly,

'Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy;

The way into my parlour is up a winding stair,

And I've a many curious things to shew when you are there."

"Oh, no, no," said the little Fly, to ask me is in vain,

For who goes up your winding stair, can ne'er come down again."

"I'm sure you must be weary, dear, with soaring up so high;
Will you rest upon my little bed?" said the Spider to the Fly.
..."Oh, no, no," said the little Fly, "for I've often heard it said,
They never, never wake again, who sleep upon your bed."

..."I have within my pantry, good store of all that's nice;
I'm sure you're very welcome--will you please to take a slice?"
"Oh, no, no," said the little Fly, "kind Sir, that cannot be,
I've heard what's in your pantry, and I do not wish to see!"

Our Halloween Party this year was a Spider theme...it was as creepy as we get around here! I didn't take pictures of the mummified (fake) owl and skeleton - eek!
The very weird big spider was made by Lucy out of a large, standing ghost we have. She took it apart, made spider legs out of wire and fake fur, gave it a big beach ball under it's cloak for an abdomen - ugh! I don't like spiders much!
Our entire orchard was wrapped in spider web to make a spooky den for the kids to explore. It was complete with a big web tunnel entrance, a foggy graveyard, spider eggsacks, and the web-wrapped mummies. All the kids loved it!

Click on the top picture of Lucy to see the amazing spider coat she made! She designed and sewed it herself, spun blue wool for the decorative stitching, added angora fur cuffs and netting collar, peacock feather epaulettes, and a pair of spider legs coming out the back.

The little girl cousins divided and swapped candy for hours!

Our party was on Saturday night, so on Halloween itself we had another celebration at Gramie's house. The teenagers and Robin all coordinated with Steampunk inspired costumes. They made quite an impression on the neighborhood! Apparently Barry was proposed to several times by admiring neighbor girls...he's sure it was just the vintage tailcoat :)

Finding Fall

2010-10-17T15:06:00.002-07:00

~Tiny mushrooms, pine needle wishes, and a forest throne~

~Katydids and coreopsis, geodes and brown pine needles, a secret forest hideaway~

~Treasures found in a tiny vintage shop and our gifts from the forest~

Autumn can be tricky to find here in Arizona. Last week, Lucy, Robin, Elsa and I journeyed to the Mogollon Rim to see if we could find any signs of Fall. Because our natural forest has very few deciduous trees, the colors tend more towards yellows and browns, and as you can see we found many shades of lovely, warm Autumn Brown. The aspens and oaks were just beginning to change colors, as were the ferns. But the air was cool and crisp and every now and then we caught a wisp of woodsmoke from nearby homesteads. A visit to a goat dairy and a tiny bakery provided us with cheese and fresh bread to eat with our apples and hummus and salad as we sat among the ferns and listened to the woodpeckers and chattering squirrels.

Back at the cabin, we cracked open the geodes to find the treasure inside, then scoured a little antique shop for treasures of the vintage sort. Lucy was thrilled to find a beautiful old trunk to restore, Robin's wish for a cool old lock was fulfilled, Elsa found another sweet lacy bonnet and a teeny tiny mixer, and I found a beautiful doily for our table. We all returned home to the desert with Autumn in our hearts - so excited for the season ahead!

Late Summer

2010-09-18T16:51:00.006-07:00

The last, lingering days of summer. Here in Arizona, our summer is very long. In fact, Mrs. Summer sometimes makes us wonder if she will ever leave! We love her though, with her long, carefree days, shooting-star nights, and all the sweet summer fruits and flowers.

Isn't this a sweet bonnet? Elsa wore it all over the antique store, and how could I resist? The vintage blouse is seeing lots of summer action. It's made of the lightest batiste, hand embroidered with colorful summer flowers...

Paired with linen pants it's the perfect late summer outfit.

Our beautiful peach trees surprised us with a bountiful harvest this year. Late summer peaches aren't actually ideal here in the desert, but these are really thriving. When we first moved in to our house we considered taking them out and replacing them with early peaches. The trees were very small then, and when the peaches ripened, well, there were just enough for the birds and bugs, and none for us! We didn't do it though, and now are so glad...

For several weeks we harvested this many peaches every few days! Most we ate fresh, warm and juicy... some went in the freezer, lots went in to peach cobbler and cake. And there were still plenty for birds and bugs and chickens and goats...

The peach tree is so big now, that she can shelter little ones in an impromptu hammock...

Gently swaying, cradled in the warmth of a late summer day.

Thumbelina

2010-09-09T17:20:00.004-07:00

She is just so sweet and cute, I couldn't resist posting her picture. This little baby was born last Monday. She is about 1/3 the size of her twin brother - I think she weighs barely a pound! She's lively and vivacious though, so no worries. I do so love the little babies. New life is always such a miracle.

Mushrooms, Cupcakes, and Vintage Sweetness

2010-08-09T11:35:00.005-07:00

A little peek at some sweetness I've been working on.

Vanilla Cupcakes filled with Lemon Curd.

Wee chairs and vintage hankies.

A bit of lace and a peek of a hem...

A sleeve...

...maybe it will go with this!

It's looking like it will be a perfect outfit!

Last week I visited some antique shops and found some very sweet vintage finds. The most exciting was the little embroidered blouse, shown above, which fits my little elsa perfectly! Not only that, but matches just perfectly with the linen pants I am sewing her inspired by the book "Carefree Clothes for Girls". Do you see the little friend peeking out of the pocket? She's a tiny German dollhouse dolly that Elsa's sharp little eyes spied at the antique shop!

Seven Candles On My Cake

2010-08-07T17:36:00.005-07:00

Birthday gifts presented by a rosy little fairy.

Wearing her Birthday Crown and holding her favorite gift.

Making a wish and blowing out seven candles.

Smelling the zinnias (do they smell good?) at our favorite local restaurant.

Best friends and cousins, exactly one month apart in age, in coordinating unicorn dresses, beloved rainbow unicorn still in hand!

Our little Elsa turned seven a couple of weeks ago! We celebrated with presents and birthday breakfast cake and strawberries in the morning, a visit to an indoor play place in the afternoon, and dinner at Joe's Farm Grill, our favorite local restaurant. Joe's has it's own garden and Elsa loves to wander through and see the flowers and try to guess what she ate that was picked fresh! She had a magical day, full of beauty and sweetness. Happy birthday little princess!

...And Summer Nights

2010-07-07T22:48:00.004-07:00

The magic of glow-stick art on a warm summer night...

Summer Days

2010-07-05T22:21:00.005-07:00

I know, I have been absent for a long time. But the days have been so full of summer fun that it's been hard to sit down at the computer. Here's a little glimpse of what we have been up to....

...our days have been busy with new pets, birthday celebrations, midsummer festival, some crafting, some acting (Elsa was in two plays! She was adorable as Cinderella's stepmother and the Magic Mirror in Snow White.) and even some sewing inspired by the ripe strawberries growing in the garden.

Hopefully your summer days are just as full and fun. I will try to post a little more frequently, especially with all the exciting activities going on this month!

Milestones

2010-06-07T16:11:00.006-07:00

.: A few images from Jill's graduation day ~ a day filled with family and friends, laughter and tears, hope for the future and nostalgia for the past...

.:Jill was beautiful wearing a dress that has become a family heirloom. Made by my Oma for my own high school graduation, it was modeled after the dress my great-grandmother Mattie Ethel White wore for her graduation in 1913.

.:Jill's cake was a traditional Norwegian spongecake with strawberries and raspberries and whipped cream in the center, and a marzipan topping.

I have been struggling to find words to express my feelings as my eldest daughter/eldest child graduates from high school, turns 18, and enrolls in college. She is an amazing girl, and I have complete confidence in her, but I still feel just that twinge that all mamas feel at this stage~ of hope that I have done everything I could to prepare her for her future, worry that I could have done more...But looking at her sweet, radiant face, so full of joy and love with only the slightest hint of bewilderment (natural for this stage in life), I think we'll be all right.

Prom 2010

2010-05-19T07:26:00.004-07:00

A couple of months ago Jill came to me with this picture of a calla lily turned upside-down and said "I want to make a prom dress that looks like this!" .....ummm...ok.....I was overwhelmed to say the least...

Jill's senior prom was April 17th, she was not going with a date, but rather with two of her good friends. The theme of the prom was Masquerade, and the girls decided to be the elements - earth, wind, and fire. Jill would be earth and her idea was the calla lily. So. She drew some designs, we bought fabric, and began to sew. Well, we did not get it done in time for senior prom! The innovative design really was almost beyond my abilities. I was stretched to the limit and just did not have enough time to finish. We had the top about half done and were still trying to figure out the logistics of the skirt when the big day arrived. Thankfully, I have a bridesmaid dress that Jill has always loved and wanted to wear to prom, so she decided it would work instead.

She did beautiful facepaint and hair to match the dress and go with her theme of earth.

The other two girls made their dresses - and they were all so pretty! They had a great evening and all had many compliments!

We did not give up on the calla lily dress as there was still "Mormon Prom" the beginning of May. So...back to the sewing room! Jill figured out the skirt finally, by drawing a pattern based on a silk calla lily. She made a tiny version, then drew the pattern on graph papaer and enlarged on to newsprint. She carefully cut it out of white silk and we stitched the two layers together and began to pin and tack it around her. We didn't figure out how to actually fasten the thing! It ended up being hand sewn in strategic places and tacked on to her slip. We also didn't get the boning in the hem to make it flare out like the lily. But, it turned out to be very beautiful and unique, and Jill still has plans to work on it some more!

The jacket is forest green brocade lined in hand-dyed yellow silk. The slashed sleeves are also lined in the yellow silk and the collar is hand-dyed silk chiffon left unhemmed.

Lucy had a completely different idea for her dress! Lucy's date was her dear friend Barry, who is just as creative and crazy as Lucy and totally willing to get caught up in her "steampunk" vision. Lucy wanted a victorian look with a modern steampunk flare, and decided to start out at a vintage clothing shop. So. We all drove out to Glendale (about 45 minutes away) and had an absolutely fabulous time hunting through the truly amazing and enchanting antique stores there. We had so much fun that we had to go back again a few days later and look some more. We ended up in a treasure trove of a shop called Matilda's Closet where Lucy literally spent 2 hours trying on clothes, hats, scarves, gloves...and finally bouncing ideas off the sweet shop owner Rose. Incredibly, Barry was just as enthusiastic as Lucy in this adventure, and was ecstatic when he found a tailor-made tail coat from 1940 (the tag in the pocket had the date, tailor and customer!) It fit as though it was tailor-made for him! All navy blue wool, lined in silk, high waisted, long tails...perfect!! With that settled, Lucy began to think navy blue too. She tried on this and that, we talked about how we could alter or change things, but nothing was clicking. Finally, dear Rose brought out an old navy blue velvet dress from perhaps the early 1930's that she had just picked up at a vintage clothing expo. It was faded in spots and a funny fit, but it had some really intriguing details...

A row of covered buttons down the back, the cool V waistband in front, smocking on the shoulders...turn it around and cut it up, make it into a jacket with tails maybe...yes, we could see the possibilities! Rose mentioned a victorian styled blouse underneath and I remembered that I have a real victorian blouse - and we were off and running!

The result was so cute! We cut the velvet dress all apart, took the front skirt and sleeves off, folded to make lapels, re-sewed the back-now-front with princess seams for a fitted shape and it was perfect! My Victorian blouse added the needed lacy touch, and we made a new skirt out of silk and silk chiffon, hand gathered up in front to show off the amazing boots Lucy borrowed from her Young Women's leader. Barry's mama made him a velvet vest and black satin cravat to go with his gorgeous tailcoat. She then pulled out a ruby brooch originally owned by his great-grandma for the cravat and a cane from the 1800's that the original Barrington (Barry's namesake) used!!

Barry and Lucy ordered welding goggles from Amazon and spent a fun couple of evenings customizing them with leather, paint and wire to turn them into the awesome steampunk style. All together the outfits (and kids) were absolutely adorable!!!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T08:43:00.002-07:00

Me and my mama.

Isn't my mama adorable! Full of love and imagination, she gifted me with her love of reading and writing, her great sense of style, her passion for thinking long and deeply on life's mysteries, and so much more. Happy Mother's Day dear mama! And Happy Mother's Day to all you other mama's too. May you have joy in your journey this beautiful day!

A Math Block

2010-04-14T08:17:00.005-07:00

I have some catching up to do on my homeschool blogging! Back in January we did a short math block for both Robin & Elsa combined. Both are already very familiar with numbers, but Robin needed some review of Roman numerals and Elsa didn't know them at all. So we reviewed number qualities, Roman numerals, tally marks, number words, and some form drawing. We had a fairy tale and a riddle for most of the numbers as well. It was a fun, quick lesson block that was a great start to the new year. Below are my chalkboard drawings for each number, the children copied them into their main lesson books.

Resources:
A Journey Through Waldorf Math
Oak Meadow First Grade

Easter Morning

2010-04-08T06:55:00.003-07:00

Our Easter morning was sweet and peaceful and filled with delicious food, handmade surprises, and fluffy little chicks. We spent a quiet morning listening to the songs of birds, laughter of happy children, and guidance from our spiritual leaders. It was truly a joyful morning!

Signs of Spring

2010-03-23T09:32:00.004-07:00

Spring has definitely sprung here! Strangely, one of our first signs was this cheery little robin. Why strange? Isn't that traditional? Well, I have lived in Arizona most of my life, and never saw a robin here in the desert until this spring! Now my dad says that he saw plenty of robins when he was a kid here, but for me this was a new and exciting experience. The little robin and his mate spent nearly a month in our backyard. With that delightful introduction to spring, here are some photos around our yard and the many signs of new life this past month...

Peach trees in the front yard.

Popcorn popping on the apricot tree.

Our new nectarine tree.

Warm enough to wear shorts!

Broccoli blooming and going to seed.

A little nest in the compost tumbler!

And a sweet little hen setting there.

New leaves on the grapevines.

Cabbages almost ready to harvest!

An abundance of sugar snap peas.

Our filly, Stardust, munching on sweet spring grass.

Ponies, dogs, and kids, kicking up thier heels for the pure joy of Spring!

Happy Spring!

Kaiser's Day Out

2010-03-20T21:20:00.003-07:00

Every now and then we have a visiting peacock that wanders over to our house for a few days. He struts in front of our peahens, and generally drives our peacock, Kaiser, crazy! Well...last week it was just too much for Kaiser and he somehow broke out of his pen. Fortunately, he didn't seem to wish to fight with the intruder. They just paraded around and squacked at each other.

Kaiser is pretty tame, so it wasn't too hard for Lucy to retrieve him and return him safely to his home. He had flown up onto the barn roof though, so she had to climb up there and then figure out how to climb back down with a slightly nervous peacock in her arms!

She held him gently and securely, spoke to him calmly, and he settled in to her arms while she carefully came down the ladder to safety. He is such a beautiful bird!

Sweet 16 Unbirthday Party

2010-03-10T16:24:00.008-07:00

Lucy and her cousin Sarah decided to celebrate thier 16th birthdays together and have one big, Mad Hatter, Unbirthday Tea Party! We met early Saturday morning at the movie theater to watch the new Alice in Wonderland movie with friends and family. (It was amazing and delightful!) Then we came back to our front yard where the setting was perfect for the birthday tea...

Lucy, dressed as Alice, oversees the festivities.

It was an enchanting day for everyone ~ perfect weather, great food, beautiful surroundings and good friends. Both of the birthday girls had a wonderful time!

My Sister's Shop

2010-03-03T07:42:00.005-07:00

My sister has a delightful etsy shop that she has put so much love and creativity into. Why am I posting about it today?

Well, she has graciously agreed to put a couple of my sweet little snuggle babies in her shop! I am not quite ready to open a shop of my own, so she is helping me to "get my feet wet" so to speak...

Here is a sampling of the things she makes that can be found in her shop:

Isn't this the most adorable shamrock? I am seriously considering buying it myself!

She makes beautiful holiday kitchen towels, absorbant and sturdy and so pretty in the kitchen!

And here is where she really shines! Missy makes absolutely gorgeous heirloom dresses for babies!! Wouldn't this be the sweetest Easter dress for some lucky little baby? You should see the detail that she puts in these dresses - french lace, hours of delicate embroidery, vintage buttons, and every dress comes with a dainty little slip!
Hop on over to her shop and take a look at the other fun goodies waiting there!

Bella Luna Give Away | Wee Folk Art

2010-02-25T07:19:00.001-07:00

Bella Luna Give Away at Wee Folk Art

Yes, Bella Luna Toys is giving away two $25 gift certificates over at WeeFolkArt!! Bella Luna is the sweetest website with so many lovely toys, crafts, and books. Check it out, and good luck!

A Teeny, Tiny Princess and a Teeny Tiny Pea

2010-02-21T09:10:00.003-07:00

I have such wonderfully creative daughters! This past Christmas, I really wanted to make Elsa a Princess and the Pea set inspired by the lovely print from Heather Ross's Far Far Away fabric line. But...I was running out of time! My darling Lucy stepped in on Christmas Eve and made the sweetest little princess doll and sewed up 20 tiny matresses while I put together a little bag to hold it all. The results were just as enchanting as I had hoped, and I had the added benefit of a delightful time spent crafting with my daughter.

The matresses and contrasting fabrics on the bag are from Heather Bailey's Fresh Cut line of fabric.

Sew Sweet

2010-02-18T08:22:00.003-07:00

Last month I had a bit of sweet sewing to catch up on. First, I had cut out this star baby for Elsa last fall when I made this baby for her little cousin. In January, Elsa could see that I had some "free time" haha, and insisted that I finish it. No problem! It is always such a joy to sew little dollies full of love!

Next, I needed to finish a gift for some dear little twin baby friends of ours.

I'm afraid I got a bit carried away in my enthusiasm and made a whole batch of these little sweeties!

Now I have a nice little pile of baby dolls...I don't really know what to do with them but they sure are cute.

Here are the dollies for the twins, all bundled up in little bags for safekeeping.

Grade One, X, Y, Z

2010-02-02T08:11:00.003-07:00

These letters were very difficult for me to plan. I have been trying to stay as true to waldorf principles as possible with our approach to the alphabet, but coming up with stories to base this lesson on just wasn't happening. I finally went back to Steiner's lecture "Teaching Children to Write" and realized that the letters and thier forms can come from life experiences and don't have to be tied to a specific fairy tale! Whew! So that is what I did. Thus we came up with the following words and pictures. I think it worked well, as Elsa did not balk at all and is now finished with her lessons about the consonants.

Grade One, P & Q

2010-02-02T07:56:00.003-07:00

Letters P & Q
Waldorf Alphabet Book
A Journey Through Waldorf First Grade
Oak Meadow Kindergarten

Story:
The Three Spinners - Grimm, as told in Oak Meadow Kindergarten Fairy Tales

This is a great story to flesh out with details and dialogue. I based my retelling off the interpretation in Oak Meadow Kindergarten as I knew Elsa would love the addition of the little pet quail. We also named our lazy girl soon to be princess "Polly" and the prince "Peter" and said that they had been best friends in school. "Polly" wasn't so much lazy in our version, but rather dreamy.

Grade One, L & N

2010-02-02T07:40:00.004-07:00

**I am doing some serious catching up here! I really want to post about as many of our Waldorf homeschool lessons as possible as I know how helpful it can be to see what other families are doing. So the next few posts actually occured in the last 3 months!

Letters L & N
Waldorf Alphabet Book
A Journey Through Waldorf Homeschooling Grade One
Oak Meadow Kindergarten

Stories:
Little Red Riding Hood - Grimm
The Nixie of the Mill Pond - Grimm

"Little Red Lingers on the Lane"

"Naughty Nixie Needs Nelly's Gold"

King Winter

2010-01-25T08:01:00.003-07:00

"King Winter now is in the land

He reigns with cold and freezing hand.

He makes Jack Frost touch nose and toe,

And brings us white and shining snow."

~M. Meyerkort, Wynstones Press "Winter"

One Small Change

2010-01-20T11:39:00.005-07:00

I'm a little late getting around to this post, I know. When the new year rolled around and I noticed this project created by the ever-inspiring Suzy of Hip Mountain Mama, my wheels began spinning wondering what we could do in our family. Many of you know that we drink our own goat's milk, and some of you also know that our oldest daughter Jill just can't take the taste. So, our small change came about quite naturally after all. We had been purchasing milk for her - and to supplement the goat milk when there just wasn't quite enough, at the grocery store. Sometimes organic, sometimes not. Jill has a very sensitive taste for milk and can tell us exactly what brand she is drinking without looking! I knew there was an organic dairy down the road from us, but was put off by the price and the inconvenience. However, it has finally come down to the desire to make a difference in the world, and in the health of our family. Our dairy sells raw, organic cow's milk and cream. They take wonderful care of their cows and seem to care very much about thier impact on the world. And the milk? Delicious! Jill took one sip, then a few more as a blissful smile spread across her face. "Oh, mom! This is what milk is supposed to taste like!"

If you would like to join in on this amazing and growing project, click on the button above. One small change at a time we can make a difference for our families and our precious Earth.

A Fairy Went A-Marketing

2010-01-08T07:29:00.002-07:00

Once again my sister is hostessing a very enchanting swap! I am so excited about it this year as we worked together to come up with ideas. There are two categories - one for adults and one for kids, and prizes for both. For more information and to JOIN hop on over to her blog. To see pictures of some of last year's enchantment, check out the flickr group here and pictures of what I sent here.

Sweet 16

2010-01-05T22:04:00.005-07:00

An early morning birthday greeting awaited our sweet girl as she readied herself for school and a new year.

A few more gifts were added during the day - made with love by a little brother and sister.

Finally birthday dinner is finished, Happy Birthday is sung, and it is time to open gifts!

Surprises revealed! Perfect treats for a creative, music loving teenage girl.

A Quiet Christmas Day

2010-01-03T18:36:00.002-07:00

Sighting a pair of bluebirds on Christmas morning was a rare gift! Being able to capture a photo of them with my new camera was even better.

The softly glowing tree looked over our early morning gift sharing. Even after a late night of last-minute crafting the children were not about to sleep in! On Christmas Eve, all five children sleep in the girls room, Jill reads "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and they all try to sleep in spite of the excitement. I think they were all up by 5 a.m., but they know the rule is to let Mama and Daddy sleep until 7. They can look at thier gifts from Santa and peek at the stockings, but the rest must wait.

Tradition dictates that stockings aren't opened until the parents are up. Presents will be saved until after the Christmas Breakfast - Stollen, eggs, and hot chocolate. We were joined for our breakfast this year by Grandaddy and Gramie and Uncle Joe.

Once the present opening commences, it is done in an orderly fashion. One present at a time, taking turns youngest to oldest until everything has been opened. This year after the present opening, we were able to have a lovely, quiet and relaxing day reading new books, playing with new toys, napping, going for a walk with Grandaddy and Gramie and sighting bluebirds!

It was the first time in 15 years that we had Christmas Day all at home. It was so peaceful and beautiful. In the evening we gathered around the table by candlelight for our Christmas Dinner of ham, gratin potatoes, salad, and our jule log cake with marzipan mushrooms. The little ones were almost too tired to eat and drifted off to bed with dreams of a magical Christmas Day.

A note: The sweet little nativity in the pictures above was made over 30 years ago by my Oma. It was part of my childhood Christmas memories and I am so blessed to share it with my own children now. The sheep are even older - probably 40 or 50 years ago when Oma taught school she and her students made them of wood and wool. Somehow they ended up with the nativity set where they seem to fit right in!

December Happenings

2009-12-20T17:43:00.007-07:00

December is flying by, but we are keeping warmth in our hearts and simplicity in our souls. Here is some of the goings-on around the Miller household...

On December 7th we said farewell to Uncle Jared as he departed on his two-year LDS mission. We are so proud of his willingness to serve the people of South Africa, but will sorely miss his fun, sweet spirit! (Yes, we have two Jareds who are very dear to us serving missions. Uncle Jared is my youngest brother - only two years older than Jill, he is very close to our family. The other Jared is Jill's (and our!) dear friend to whom we said farewell in June...)

We have an advent tradition in our home of an advent house with doors that open each day to reveal a little suprise. Each child takes a turn - youngest to oldest- so they each end up with 5 suprises. Here are a couple of the things I made this year. A little felt fox, and a baby mouse in a walnut shell cradle. The fox was designed by Elsa, and the mousey was inspired by a similar one my Oma made years ago. It is such a special treat to pass on memories of my childhood!

This month I participated in the Seasons Round winter nature table swap. The Seasons Round is a lovely swap among Waldorf-schooled families to share ideas throughout the year. My partner was Wendy W. in San Fransisco, and although she does not have a blog, I truly hope that at some point she will, as she is such a sweet spirit and has much to share. She sent me the beautiful beeswax candles shown in the advent wreath below, as well as a good fortune bag of the most heavenly lavender and an adorable seasonal story about a little sunflower seed being tucked in to bed for the winter by Mother Earth.

I made for her a little star-bearer table doll, a Celtic sun spiral tapestry, a beeswax votive, and a straw star ornament. You can read a more detailed description on my flickr site here.

Our cutie Lucy attended a formal 16th birthday party for a friend last weekend. She was so beautiful in her sparkly dress and makeup with her hair all done up in ringlets!

This is our advent wreath inspired by Tasha Tudor. I actually just made it on Friday! I hadn't thought I would, but I sat down Friday afternoon to have a cup of tea and the last piece of Panettone I made for homeschool the day before, and decided to watch the Tasha Tudor video "Take Peace". It was a very sweet and calming moment. In the video, Tasha digs in the snow to find the last green branches of boxwood and brings them inside to make her advent wreath. I suddenly realized that I have a boxwood bush that is sprouting like crazy and needs to be trimmed anyway...so I went outside in the 72 degree gentle afternoon and cut some branches and wove them into the beautiful wreath seen above. I had two candles from my swap, and just happened to have two more sheets of beeswax. Elsa helped me carefull roll them into candles and we hung our beautiful wreath with plaid ribbons in tribute to our Scottish heritage. I think we have come upon a new holiday tradition!

One of the most meaningful experiences I have had this season was crafting an ornament for a special lady in need. When Nicole (gardenmama) contacted me about this project I was so touched that she would think of me and so grateful to be included. Sometimes service for others is hard to do, but then again, sometimes we need to let go of our feelings of being overwhelmed by our busy lives and reach out to those around us. Perhaps it is time to bring our thoughts inwards, simplify our lives, listen to the spirit and then extend ourselves to those in need.

There is a beautiful quote by Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the LDS First Presidency: "In the end, the number of prayers we say may contribute to our happiness, but he number of prayers we answer may be of even greater importance. Let us open our eyes and see the heavy hearts, notice the loneliness and despair; let us feel the silent prayers of others around us, and let us be an instrument in the hands of the Lord to answer those prayers."

I am sure that participating in this act of service was far more of a blessing to me. It has helped me feel the true meaning of the celebration of this season - that love and charity are where happiness and peace reside.

A Neighborhood Nativity

2009-12-17T08:19:00.003-07:00

Every year our neighborhood gathers for a Nativity play and dinner. Our family helps by providing Mary's "donkey" (our pony) and various goats for the shepherds. This year a new neighbor family brought a "camel" (llama) for the wise men and a darling miniature jersey cow! The cast is the children, with the nine year olds traditionally up on the scaffolding as angels, the oldest 11 year old girl and boy as Mary and Joseph, anyone brave enough to hold a goat as shepherds, and three 9-11 year old boys as wise men. All the other kids join in the Children's Choir. It is a beautiful and sweet event usually held the first Saturday in December. It is such a lovely way to start our season focused on the true meaning of Christmas.

Thankful For Family

2009-11-26T21:48:00.002-07:00

Today all 37 members of my Bielefeldt family gathered at our home to celebrate Thanksgiving. We couldn't have asked for a more lovely day. The weather was warm and gentle, the food was amazing, and having all the siblings and little cousins together was just priceless.

Uncle Eric brought a bubble machine and all the little girls laughed and chased in wonderment trying to catch the floating bubbles. We finally got them to stay still (relatively!) by lying in a flower shape and singing "fairies!" up to the camera!

I am so grateful for my big family and our closeness and love. I am the oldest of eight, the youngest leaves for his mission to South Africa on December 8th. We are cherishing these moments together as we will not all be together again for two years.

Crafting, Cooking, Crazy!!

2009-11-25T11:00:00.003-07:00

The holiday season is upon us and we are in the full spirit of it here. Earlier this month I signed up for three swaps, you can see the tags on the right sidebar. Two were due this week, we are also hosting Thanksgiving Dinner for my family (37+ people!) and Lucy is making Homemade Pies this afternoon to raise money for her marching band fees. So, it is very festive here!!These are all the cute things we made for the Handmade Stocking Stuffer Swap. We had 14 children on our list, 8 boys and 6 girls. David made the boy things, and I made the mermaid dollies for the girls. I was so glad that David stepped in to help! He is so creative and handy when he wants to be :)

A close up of the mermaids. I had so much fun making these for the swap that I decided to make some for my little nieces for Christmas.

I made these handmade chocolate truffles for the goody in the Enchanted Forest Ornament Swap. They were so easy and soooo yummy! If you want to try them, here's the recipe...

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup good quality chocolate (I used Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips)

Heat the cream over medium heat to just before boiling, remove from heat, add the chocolate and stir to melt.

If you would like to add flavorings, do so now. I added about a tablespoon of peanut butter to one batch, to the other I added about a tablespoon of reduced cherry syrup (another recipe maybe!) and a teaspoon of rum. Stir in the flavorings thoroughly.

Put in a covered bowl in the refrigerator until stiff enough to mold. (about 1-2 hours or overnight is fine.)

Form into little balls - I scooped with a melon baller and then rolled to form. Roll in cinnamon sugar or cocoa powder.

That's it! Easy!

Here they are all packaged up, with the ornament and a kitchen towel. The towel is made of natural linen with a border of Japanese woodland friends fabric I got on etsy.

With all the craziness, I let Jesse stay home from school today (it was only a half day anyway!) and he rewarded me by making these amazing blueberry scones! Thank you sweet boy! I think he's turning into a fine cook!

Grade One, F & R

2009-11-20T16:24:00.004-07:00

Letters F & R
Waldorf Alphabet Book
A Journey Through Waldorf Homeschooling Grade One
Oak Meadow Kindergarten

Stories:
The Curious Fish by Elsa Beskow
The Roly Poly Pudding by Beatrix Potter
Rapunzel by Grimm
The Dream Fairy (poem) by Thomas Hood

Activities:
Add new fish to our pond
Bake Roly Poly Puddings (recipe in Oak Meadow Kindergarten p. 209)

The newly released in English book by Elsa Beskow was perfect for F! We actually scheduled our lessons for F around the release of the book and I am so glad we did. It is such a sweet tale, and Elsa loved all the different kinds of fish in it.

We told several different tales for the letter R, but the image we finally settled on as most meaningful was the river. It lent itself so nicely to the shape, and really flowed in and out of all our stories this week.

One of our resources this week was the poem "The Dream Fairies" by Thomas Hood. It is in the public domain, so here it is:

A little fairy comes at night,

Her eyes are blue, her hair is brown,

with silver spots upon her wings,

And from the moon she flutters down.

She has a little silver wand,

And when a good child goes to bed

She waves her wand from right to left

And makes a circle round her head,

And then it dreams of pleasant things,

Of fountains filled with fairy fish,

And trees that bear delicious fruit,

And bow their branches at a wish;

Of arbours filled with dainty scents

From lovely flowers that never fade,

Bright ‘flies that flitter in the sun,

And glow-worms shining in the shade;

And talking birds with gifted tongues

For singing songs and telling tales,

And pretty dwarfs to show the way

Through the fairy hills and fairy dales.

So many beautiful images! "Fountains filled with fairy fish" was our repeated sentence for F. And Elsa was so inspired by "...pretty dwarfs to show the way/ Through the fairy hills and fairy dales." that she had to paint her version of her dwarf guide through fairyland...

...a lovely opportunity for a painting exersize in Red!

I wanted to share the picture Robin drew for Elsa. He put in as many "R"s as he could from the story Rapunzel. Elsa had a great time finding them all!

Grade One, G & K

2009-11-20T15:57:00.006-07:00

Letters G & K
Waldorf Alphabet Book
A Journey Through Waldorf First Grade

Stories:
The Golden Goose - Grimm
King Thrushbeard - Grimm

Activities:
Gardening
Autumn Nature Walk

Elsa in the golden early autumn light in Payson, AZ. We took a little trip to visit my sister in Gallup, NM the first weekend of October and stopped at my parents' cabin. The woods were so beautiful and golden!

For some reason, Elsa had a difficult time with G. She loved the story, but did not think she could draw the picture. She started and then was so frustrated that we had to put it on hold. It took her about three weeks of letting it settle before she was ready to revisit it and make her MLB entry. That's ok. It is why homeschooling is so wonderful! It was no problem to move on with other things and come back to it when she was ready. I did not make a big issue of it, so she did not feel stupid.

The story of King Thrushbeard is adorable! Elsa loved the Princess' silly descriptions of the Princes, and was glad when she learned her lesson to be less proud and selfish. She had great fun acting this one out with me, and really enjoyed the drawing of the King and Princess dancing at thier wedding!

The Mad Hatter Was Here...

2009-11-04T07:43:00.004-07:00

Here we see Lewis Carroll as he imagines some of the characters in his new story....

Alice meets the Mad Hatter, March Hare, and two darling doormice.

The Cheshire Cat wasn't all there...

I had to take a few pictures the next morning when the light was nice. It was such a fun party! Friends, family, and neighbors joined us, and many of them had gotten into the spirit and dressed to match the theme.

We ate pumpkin soup, homemade bread and homemade crackers; a variety of cheeses including brie, gouda, white farm cheddar, and my own goat cheese with raspberries and black grapes; cupcakes of course and cookies printed with instructions for Alice; Gramie's traditional homemade donuts; Jill's favorite winter squash dip; October Ale (a mix of spiced apple cider and ginger ale) and our own made from scratch rootbeer.

The setting was so magical with paper lanterns, thrifted tea pots on all the tables (filled with dry ice and warm water for effect!) and all set out under our big pine trees.

Here are some details of the Alice dress I made for Lucy. I finally found a purpose for the antique apron I found 15 years ago!

Every year we put up our "Family Graveyard" for Halloween. I had to laugh when I was able to snap this picture of one of our black cats walking through.

I have to say a little about the Mad Hatter costume. It was AMAZING!!! Jill found the purple velvet Ralph Lauren suit at Savers (thrift store) for $15, added a crazy purple and gold silk tie which she tied into a very fancy knot, my old silk shirt, some awesome shoes also from the thrift store, and of course, the HAT, made by Lucy. She also wore a little silver thimble and had a giant needle threaded with silk ribbon in her coat pocket. She was a most elegant Mad Hatter!

Thank you to everyone who came and helped make our party so fun! It was a truly enchanting evening!

A Mad Hatter Halloween Tea Party

2009-10-22T14:37:00.003-07:00

Halloween Night

Our Place

Come on over around 7ish or after Trick-or-treating

Good food as always, and this year homemade root beer

Cakewalk donations and prize donations are welcome

P.S. The awesome hat above was made by the talented Lucy and will be worn by Jill as part of her awesome Mad Hatter costume.

Michaelmas Week

2009-10-06T19:16:00.008-07:00

"I give to you this cape of light,

to give you courage, strength and might."

We had a wonder-filled week preparing for our Michaelmas celebration. This was our first time celebrating a truly Waldorf festival and I must say that everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. Early in the week we felted shooting star balls, then dyed them and our silk capes with sunflowers from our yard and tumeric. Even my big girls had fun with their capes, and wore them to school on the 29th. They quite happily explained to thier friends why.

On Friday, my sister and her daughters and Gramie joined us for our official Michaelmas Festival...

All the kids made thier own cute dragon breads using Tasha Tudor's White Bread Recipe (made with half whole wheat flour, and goat milk of course!)

They really were too cute to eat! But we did eat them, with delicious Daddy-made potato soup.

Robin spent two days making an amazing dragon pinata. He used a rocket balloon, paper mache, paint, and tissue paper. All the kids took turns fighting the dragon with Saint Michael's sword, and upon it's demise were showered with golden butterscotch candies.

The field for the shooting star throw was carefully marked in 20 foot increments.....

...using stakes artfully adorned by Jesse with sunflowers.

Finally the courageous angels were ready (just look at those characters!)

Stars were flung, capes swirled, and everyone cheered!

After all the outdoor excitement, we were treated to an exciting rendition of "St. George and the Dragon" starring Jesse as the noble St. George, Robin as the ferocious dragon, Elsa as the brave princess, and Jill as the wise queen. We then sang "A Boy's Resolve" and happily agreed that Michaelmas is definitely an awesome festival!

(P.S. You can read my sister's version with a few different pictures on her blog here.)

Natural Dye

2009-09-23T06:55:00.006-07:00

We have a ton of beautiful sunflowers in our yard. They came up voluntarily, apparantly from wild seeds washed in through the irrigation.

No, really, I mean a ton! Enough for a whole sunflower forest, complete with secret tunnel...and that's not even showing the huge sunflower plants that have grown up in my garden and various other places in the yard.

So...Michaelmas is coming, and we have been charmed by the idea of dying our own golden capes. Trouble is, we don't have any marigolds. Hmmm. Would sunflowers work? We decided to experiment. We started with a whole bunch of whole sunflower heads...

which resulted in this lovely yellow-green, but not really what we were going for.

Then we tried sunflower petals mixed with Mexican Bird of Paradise blossoms and buds.

The pot looked beautiful, the water was kind of murkey, but turned a lovely orangy-pink when I stirred in a sprinkle of citric acid. But when we added the wool, it just didn't seem to be holding the color. We boiled for quite a while, but it just turned out light beige....hmm...

Finally we decided to try just sunflower petals. Just the petals! Nothing else! So tons more flowers were picked. This time we decided to put in a silk scarf too. It was looking very promising, I added a little sprinkle of Tumeric for some intensity....

Now that is color!!! Wow! I couldn't believe how bright it turned out! Now, I don't know how much is sunflowers and how much the Tumeric, but I had a whole pot of sunflower petals and maybe a 1/4 tsp. of tumeric, if that. Anyway, the result is definitely sunflower yellow!

Here are the results, left to right: Sunflower petals and tumeric; onion skins (I only had a tiny bit, so we just did one little pot. It turned out a gorgeous golden color!); sunflower petals and Mexican bird of paradise; sunflower heads.

All the wool and silk was pre-boiled in half water and half white vinegar with a teaspoon of alum added for color fastness. We pre-boiled for one hour, at the same time pre-boiling the flowers for one hour. Then we strained off most of the petals and added the rinsed wool and silk. We then boiled this mixture for about another hour. With the onion skins, though, I just added the pre-boiled wool into the pot with a handful of onion skins and boiled the whole thing for about 45 minutes.

We are thinking that this weekend for our Michaelmas capes, we will do the sunflower petals and tumeric with a few onion skins added for a deeper yellow...All 5 kids demanded to be a part of it! I didn't think the older 3 would want yellow silk capes, but I thought wrong! They still love dress-up!

Grade 3/4, Math Block week 2

2009-09-22T20:58:00.003-07:00

Not a lot to talk about this week. We are really working on memorizing those multiplication tables, so it was more skip counting to marching and singing, writing them out, etc...

Robin made this fun tool that makes different patterns for the different numbers. Above is the 3's. He sanded the wood and pounded the nails all on his own. I wrote the numbers.

We are working on 2's, 3's and 4's right now. We discovered that the threes can be sung to Frere Jacques. Memorizing the times tables is tedious work though, no matter what you do. They just have to be memorized. Even when the concepts are understood, it really just comes down to memorization. So, we try to make it as fun as we can!

Grade One, J & B

2009-09-21T12:41:00.006-07:00

Letters J & B
Waldorf Alphabet Book
A Journey Through Waldorf First Grade
Oak Meadow Kindergarten
Kit'n'Tales

Stories:
The Water of Life - Grimm (a prince brings his father a JUG of the water of life)
Flora Flutterbye - Sieglinde de Francesca (Kit'N'Tales)
Hummy Bee - Sieglinde de Francesca (Kit'N'Tales)

Activities:
Make clay jug
Make jam
Make bee and butterfly from Kit'N'Tales
Bake bagles

We actually spent most of the week last week on J. I was under the weather with a bad cold and just couldn't seem to focus on academics. We told the story of "The Water of Life" and illustrated the jug and fountain in our MLBs. We made strawberry jam, but I couldn't find clay I liked so we didn't make our jugs. We did have tons of fun dying silk and wool with flowers from our yard - more about that in another post! We also spent a lot of time with our goats and our new neighbor- a little calf named Sassy...

We did all of B on Monday of this week. Well, actually, we were talking about B all weekend as we observed the bees in our garden, thought of all the B words we could think of, baked bread, and talked about butterflies. Elsa was very ready for the two stories on Monday, and was very happy to finally enter her picture in her MLB.

The highlight of our B lesson was making a little Hummy Bee using our sunflower dyed wool and the instructions in Sigi's Hummy Bee story. So cute!!! Elsa loves her little bee and has been taking very good care of her.

We also started the butterfly from Sigi's Flora Flutterbye story (downloads free on the Kit'N'Tales website!) But this morning Elsa discovered that her wings needed a little more color so she had to repaint them. We will finish that one before bed tonight.

Grade 3/4, Math Block week 1

2009-09-14T10:46:00.002-07:00

Robin is working on a 3 week math block. We started out working on his times tables and did lots of fun activities to continue memorizing them.
These multiplication clocks were very fun to do. I had Robin draw the circles freehand (also covering form drawing for the week!), then he figured out the numbers and I wrote them. We colored them together and hung them on the wall.
We also did tons of skip-counting in circle time, and marching while skip-counting. He made a multiplication table and filled in the blocks for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, and 12.

Grade One, H & D

2009-09-14T07:38:00.006-07:00

Letters H & D

Waldorf Alphabet Book
A Journey Through Waldorf Homeschooling Grade One
Oak Meadow Kindergarten

Stories:
The Hut in the Forest - Grimm
The Twelve Dancing Princesses - Grimm
Fairy Houses, Everywhere - Barry & Tracy Kane

Activities:
Make a fairy house

Last May on a visit to Grandaddy & Gramie's cabin, Elsa picked up all these rocks. We were on a little hike, and she saw so many pretty rocks. I told her she should only pick up what she could carry herself and she ended up with her whole skirt full! We brought them home, and she has used them for all kinds of creative play.

To go with our lesson about H and Houses, Elsa built a fairy house. She was so excited to use her rocks from the mountains to make a house for the fairies.

She wrote a little note to the fairies, and sure enough, they wrote back! They thanked her for the beautiful house, and obviously they danced all night as there was fairy dust sprinkled everywhere!

Talk Like a Pirate Day!

2009-09-11T22:36:00.001-07:00

This is for you, Fawndear!

September Circle Time

2009-09-11T18:50:00.004-07:00

Candle Verse:
When everything is quiet, the light fairies come,
Bringing light and warmth, from the stars and sun.

Opening Verses:
Morning has come, night is away
We rise with the sun to welcome the day.

I can be as tall as a tall, tall tree.
I can be as small as a small, small seed.

German Songs:
Kommt ein Vogel Gefloegen
Haeschen in der Grube

Fun songs:
The Little Rabbit (little cabin in the wood)
It's Autumn Time

Activity song:
Oh, Oh, Oh, (the Dwarves March in a Row)

Math Practice:
Skip counting by 3's - marching, bean bag toss, clapping, song (tune of "Frere Jacques")

Seasonal Story:
"September" from "A Time To Keep" by Tasha Tudor or "All Year Round" by Elsa Beskow
"Christopher's Harvest Time"
"The Apple Cake"
"Our Apple Tree"

Recorder Practice

Closing Verse:
Here is a spark from Father Sun's light,
To keep in our hearts so warm and bright.

Grade 3/4, Week Three

2009-09-11T18:07:00.003-07:00

Culture: Southwest
Resources: Keepers of the Night
Mythfolklore.net
A Journey Through Waldorf Homeschooling Grade Three

"Creation of the Moon" (Navajo/Dine) Keepers of the Night

Southwest Culture (drawing of Hogan)

"The Boy Who Became a God" (Navajo) mythfolklore.net

The Origin of Summer and Winter"" (Acoma/Laguna) A Journey Through Waldorf Homeschooling Grade Three

Since we live in the Southwest, this culture is very near and dear to us. We were able to find many resources locally through friends and family. Above you see Elsa picking the seeds out of cotton bolls. We picked the cotton at a nearby farm.

Gramie has tons of experience with southwest cooking, so invited the kids over for a cooking day. She helped them roast chilis and make delicious lamb-stuffed chilis.

Stuffing the chilis.

They were a little spicy for the kids, but Robin and Elsa enjoyed eating the lamb filling with cornmeal pancakes. Yum! Thanks Gramie!!

My sister lives in Gallup, NM and has Southwest Indian culture all around her. She sent me the recipe for Navajo fry bead and beans which we made one night for dinner. So simple, but soooo good! She also sent the recipe for really amazing Zuni bread and a lamb stew. The bread and stew turned out so good!! Thanks, Hanne!!

Grade One, Week Three

2009-09-11T17:14:00.004-07:00

Letters W & C

Waldorf Alphabet Book
A Journey Through Waldorf Homeschooling Grade One
Oak Meadow Kindergarten

Stories: The Fisherman and His Wife - Grimm
Eartha the Earthworm - Oak Meadow Kindergarten Syllabus
The Poor Miller's Boy and the Cat - Grimm
Pussy Willow - Sieglinde De Francesca

Activities: Make and observe waves in water
Dig for worms
Bake croissants
Sew the cat from Pussy Willow

Ok, so I did try another chalkboard drawing, but this was the last one! As it turned out, Elsa had a very difficult time doing a wave form. She was frustrated and didn't want to draw this picture, although she had great fun playing with waves in water and observing them in our irrigation that day! Fortunately I had the backup W story about a little worm, so the next day....

This is what we came up with. Elsa was so much happier!

We didn't get around to making our croissants, and we didn't get to sew our cat, but Elsa did love the cat stories.

Her cousin came over and did the lesson with us which was very fun, and the girls colored lots of cats! They also played for a long time with the little Ostheimer kitties.

Grade 3/4, Week Two

2009-09-09T08:10:00.003-07:00

Plains Indian Cultures

Info about Plains Indians: "Kirsten's World" by American Girl

Stories: Iktomi and the Ducks, Iktomi's Blanket, and Iktomi and the Muskrat, all taken from Oak Meadow Indian Legends.

Activities: Make a paper saddlebag in the style of the Plains cultures

Set up tipi!

Iktomi and the Ducks (Lakota)

Iktomi's Blanket (Lakota)

Iktomi and the Muskrat (Lakota)

Eastern Woodland canoes, and Plains saddlebag.

Our Tipi! We made this when Robin was a baby. What fun to see it still in use!

Grade One, Week Two

2009-09-09T07:46:00.007-07:00

Letters of the week S & T
Stories: "The Seven Swans" by Grimm
"The Three Little Men of the Forest" by Grimm
"Magic in the Garden" Oak Meadow Kindergarten Fairy Tales
Form Drawing - Spiral

I should mention that we have the "Waldorf Alphabet Book" by Famke Zonneveld. It has beautiful pictures for each letter and Elsa has fun looking for all the things that begin with the letter.

Chalkboard drawing for S

Elsa's MLB entry for S

More chalkboard for S and spirals. Elsa had fun copying the snail's name from "The Story of the Root Children" by Sibylle von Olfers.

Of course, our bread had to be made into cute little snail buns! She did them all by herself!

My MLB for T

I decided to stop doing the letters on the chalkboard as I want it to be a place to inspire both children. So now our chalkboard has the date on it decorated with seasonal pictures.

Elsa's MLB for T. Although she liked the story of the "Three Little Men in the Forest", she really thought it was a dumb one for T! She did not see the connection with the letter, and didn't see why the little men would be standing in a T shape. I scrambled around and found the story from the Oak Meadow Kindergarten which is about plum trees in a little garden. Elsa loved it, and had no problem making a tree for T! That's the fun of homeschooling, we can decide what stories will most inspire our children for a particular subject.

Coincidentally, Friday of this week was Tasha Tudor's birthday! Perfect for wrapping up T. We celebrated by baking Becky's Birthday Cake from Tasha Tudor's Cookbook and reading some of her stories.

Grade 3/4, Week One

2009-09-09T07:10:00.005-07:00

We are doing a split year with Robin this year as he just turned 9 the end of May. We started the year with a 3 week block on Native American Legends. I have divided the legends up by culture so that we can study the various nations that came up with the legends.

To begin, we read a creation story from the book "Keepers of the Night". This was a great intro to the legends and culture. "The Birth of Light" from the Yuchi. It is our only legend from the Southeast cultures.

Our first culture was the Eastern Woodland. We learned about where they lived, thier shelters, clothing, food, games, and a few of the tribes in the culture.

http://www.nativetech.org/scenes/ has some great pages with illustrations.

"Keepers of the Night" has three great legends from the Eastern Woodland cultures.

"How the Bat Came to Be" (Anishinabe)

"The Great LaCrosse Game" (Menominee)

"Oot-Kwah-Tah, the Seven Star Dancers" (Onondaga)

Of course, we had to build a wigwam! Fortunately, we had already grown some sunflowers into a little room so it was no problem to weave them together into a snug little wigwam.

We also did some form drawing based on designs used in the Eastern Woodland culture, and made a little paper canoe.

Grade One, Week One

2009-09-08T15:55:00.003-07:00

Our first week of first grade with Elsa went very well. We are using the first grade curriculum from A Little Garden Flower and supplementing it with some activities and stories from Oak Meadow kindergarten and some of our own story books. We are following a traditional Waldorf format - doing blocks of lessons, introducing the letters using stories and many hands-on crafts and movement activities. Elsa has already begun to read, and we are very gently supporting her without rushing her out of this sweet time of magic and imagination.

For each letter, we tell a story that has an important element which starts with that letter ("mountain" for "M", etc...)We color a picture where we try to find the form of the letter in the picture. We practice writing upper and lower case. We write the word for that letter from the story. We also do silly sentences, like "Misty mountains marching merrily". We bake bread in fun shapes, or play with playdough, or use yarn and make the letters. We color them on the driveway with sidewalk chalk. We look for them all around us.

First week lesson plans:

Begin container story from "A Journey Through Waldorf Homeschooling: Grade One"

Introduce the letter "M" - tell Grimm's "Mt. Simli"

Introduce the letter "V" - tell Grimm's "The Vagabonds"

A School Year Begins

2009-08-31T07:25:00.003-07:00

Three weeks ago, on August 10th, school started in our districts and our home. For most children, and indeed, for our oldest three, the start of a new school year is marked by the smell of new pencils, a backpack freshly packed, a noisy bus ride, and a long day of new teachers, old and new friends, and tons of papers to sign. It's an exciting time of renewal and adventure mixed with a little dread, knowing that the carefree days of summer have come to an end and now begins the jam-packed school days of marching band, soccer practice, football games, and homework. Exhausting, yes, but the rewards are worth the effort!
For our youngest two, the beginning of school had a different tone this year. It began with the sound of goats bleating and soft bunnies excitedly hopping around for their morning feeding; the gentle tunes of German children's songs, the soft glow of candlelight, the feel of blowing through a recorder and learning to make music, and the sweet smell of new beeswax crayons. Yes, after much prayer, studying, and thought, David and I came to the conclusion that a true Waldorf education is the right choice for Robin and Elsa. And so, a new journey has begun...

Why did we choose Waldorf, and what is that anyway? There are other sites that will explain in depth, but briefly, here is our take on it: Waldorf education is based on the teachings of the early 20th century German philosopher Rudolf Steiner. It is a developmental curriculum that aims to educate and unfold the whole soul of a child - not just the intellect. The arts play a strong role, and subjects are carefully chosen with the consideration of the age of the child and where they are developmentaly. David and I have been studying the philosophies and benifits of Waldorf education for nearly 10 years (off and on) and have been greatly impressed by not only the incredible beauty, but how very accurately it maps child development and current studies in neurology. We are so happy to be able to teach our youngest children with what we believe is the best possible method for our family. And although there are difficult days when we question our sanity in homeschooling (lol!) we never question our choice of curriculum. It is true, beautiful, and right.

For a New Little One

2009-08-30T16:11:00.004-07:00

It's always such a joy to make a gift for a new baby. Every baby deserves to be surrounded by things handmade with love and thoughtfulness. I made this little musical dolly for my new niece, Katherine. Welcome to the world, sweet baby!

A Few Little Things

2009-08-27T13:06:00.002-07:00

A few little things that make me smile...

Second Star to the Right...

2009-08-22T07:59:00.004-07:00

...and off to a Mermaid Lagoon...

The scene is set, the mermaids are ready for a party. It's a magical hour and the lagoon has been decorated for an evening of enchantment...

The soft light of magical candles sparkles off pearly seashells.

The mermaids' collection adorns the secret grotto.

Of course, a chest of pirate's gold is tucked away in a hidden nook.

A new mermaid guards the pirate gold and wonders what the night will bring.

Two best friends have joined for an evening together, they have made new strings of seashells for their gathering and lit the magic candles.

Shyly, the new little mermaid peeks in on the friends, will they let her join them?

Of course! What fun to have a new friend!

The three mermaid friends talk into the late hours of this magical night. Many adventures will lie ahead for them, and it all began here.

Thank you, Fawndear, for letting me be a part of your blog party! My girls and I had so much fun setting the scene for our mermaid party. What a magical time we all had, remembering how much fun it is to be young and lost in an enchanted world.

Elsa's Real Birthday

2009-08-12T20:47:00.004-07:00

Elsa turned six while she and I were in Pennsylvania last month. We celebrated with our friends and had a quiet, relaxing day...

First thing in the morning, Elsa opened her present from me - a beautiful, magical, hand-knitted mare made by my friend Suzanne at "Down in the Meadow". I love Suzanne's shop, everything she makes is made with love and care, and she is a kindred spirit! This pony was knitted while at the seaside with her family, and is made of organic, naturally dyed wool. You can read the charming story of the wool on her blog here. Elsa was so very happy with her little pony - it has become a fast friend.After a very hot and humid morning, a huge thunderstorm moved in for the afternoon. It was beautiful and cool, and the kids and I sat on the front porch and watched the rain fall on the Susquehanna River. Elsa got to try out her new birthday umbrella.

Later that evening Elsa and I had a new experience - watching fireflies! We don't have them here in Arizona, so this was a special treat. It was so amazing to see the little bugs flashing and flying in the twilight. Elsa caught a jarful and we watched them for a long time before we let them go.

Elsa's birthday cake was another first for her - ice cream cake! It was so yummy! Elsa said it was the best birthday ever.

A Day At Knoebels

2009-08-06T16:19:00.002-07:00

In July, Elsa and I went to Pennsylvania for a week to visit our dear friends, the Basilottos and Olsens. Our very first day there they took us to the most adorable amusment park! We had so much fun - Elsa was in heaven with her good friend Maria, running around the park and experiencing everything...

Spinning wildly in the teacups with fun-loving "Uncle Charcoal" (poor Michael had to put up with this nickname the whole week!)...

Drinking out of the lion's mouth...

Eating a huge Turkey Hill ice cream cone...

Dancing to a 1907 Wurlitzer carousel organ (it was really loud!)

Knoebels is renowned for having the best amusment park food in the U.S. and I have to say that we agree. Not only was the ice cream good, but the lunch was great and I got to experience a Pennsylvania favorite - White Birch Beer! It's a lot like root beer, but better. Actually, it tasted very similar to my favorite bottled root beer, Virgil's, but better! Now if only I could find it here in Arizona....

Far, Far, Away Fabric

2009-08-06T15:30:00.008-07:00

I am loving this fabric! Designed by Heather Ross (always so enchanting!) I purchased this set of 1/2 yard pieces from FabricWorm on Etsy.

I had so much fun making birthday dresses for Elsa and her new baby doll. Elsa loves it! The light, soft double gauze is perfect for a summer dress.

Elsa's dress is made with Sandi Henderson's "Claire" pattern. What a fun and easy pattern! Of course I had to change it a little bit. I used "D" the peasant dress, but only did the elastic ruching on the waist. I did elastic casing for the neck and sleeves which I think gives it a more finished look (besides, I was of course sewing it on a ridiculous deadline! Had to make it the day before Elsa and I left for Pennsylvania.)

Anyway, now I'm thinking I should make a skirt for myself....Would a 39 year old mom of 5 look silly in a skirt with unicorns and frog princes?

The Second Star to the Right...

2009-08-06T15:18:00.002-07:00

Fawndear is hosting a blog party in a couple of weeks and we are so excited to join in! August needs a little enchantment around here as there are no holidays or birthdays and school starts. If you would like to join in too, click on the picture above and it will take you to all the info.

Elsa's "Fake Birthday"

2009-07-30T16:07:00.003-07:00

Elsa turned 6 on the 16th, but as she and I were to be in Pennsylvania on her birthday, we celebrated at home on the 13th. Lucy worked hard and finished up the felt birthday crowns for Elsa and her 3 best friends.

Birthday cupcakes with siblings, cousins, and friends.

Present time! The big baby doll was mama made using a kit from dancingraindolls.com It was pretty easy to make - I even plowed through a crocheted wig for the dolly using the boucle wool yarn which was a major challenge for a beginner! But it turned out beautiful and completely fulfilled Elsa's wishes.

Birthday sparklers to end the evening.

Utah Vacation

2009-07-28T16:05:00.004-07:00

We had an amazing time the rest of the week in Utah. There is so much to see and do there, we could have stayed all summer!

We actually found snow in Big Cottonwood Canyon. The hills were so steep though, it was a bit scary. When we first got out of the car, Jesse teased my by standing on the edge of a very steep hill and pretending to lose his balance - but then he really did lose his balance and sent me into a quivering, crying heap in the car! I really don't do well with the kids and heights. All was well, I calmed down enough to hike up to the snow, and the view was well worth it. It reminded me of being in the Alps in Germany.

From Big Cottonwood Canyon we drove the very narrow backroads in to Park City. It was so green and cool, and Park City is a really cute little town. The boys rented mountain bikes and we rode the ski lift up the mountain. Below is the moose and her calf resting in the tall greenery under the ski lift. We were so excited to see a moose! I had no idea there were moose in Utah.

The boys biked and the girls hiked. We all had a wonderful time!

For us, a trip to Utah wouldn't be complete without visiting This is the Place monument and historical village. We have several ancestors who were in the first pioneer company with Brigham Young when he entered Salt Lake Valley. Henson Walker, Charles Shumway, and Alexander Chesley are all listed on the monument. In the village we visited a replica of my Great-great grandfather Benjamin Franklin Johnson's "Saddle shop" where the kids got to learn about harness making and make a little leather ornament. We also dipped candles, washed clothes in a washtub (Elsa loved this!), made rag dolls and clay marbles.

We also spent a day hiking up to the Timpanogas cave and then driving the alpine loop road to Bridal Veil Falls. The cave hike was about 3 times as steep and long as we had anticipated. It was a serious challenge for all of us, but we made it and were so glad we did. The cave is a beautiful living cave with just about every kind of cave formation known.

Our last night in Utah we spent in Cedar City where we had tickets to the famous Utah Shakespearean Festival. The picture above was the pre-show performed for free outside the theatre. The play for the night was "Comedy of Errors" and we all loved it! They are really a fantastic company and well worth the trip to Southern Utah to see them. We all agreed we would love to go for a week sometime and see several shows.

Independence Day!

2009-07-28T15:46:00.004-07:00

Our July 4th weekend was so cool and beautiful in the Salt Lake area. We spent most of the day Saturday at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, visiting an amazing dinosaur museum, eating at a sweet cafe, eating ice cream, and watching fireworks. Sunday we went to Temple Square, had a picnic, and did a few of our own fireworks. The best thing about Indepenedence Day in Utah is the great weather and doing our own fireworks legally!

Zion

2009-07-28T15:19:00.002-07:00

Our next stop was Zion National Park in southern Utah. What a different camping experience that was! A crowded, noisy, hot campground, but the scenery was spectacular. We did several amazing hikes, one of which turned out to be quite steep and long and we were so happy to find a cool, clear pool at the top to wade in. The canyon is really interesting, it's technically desert, but there is water seeping out of the rocks everywhere, and hanging gardens, pools, waterfalls.

Ahhh, July.

2009-07-28T14:30:00.004-07:00

I'm about a month behind in blogging, and it has been a month full of adventure! So I will start at the beginning and try to get through it all.

July 1st we headed up north for a ten day family vacation. Our first stop was Flagstaff, AZ where we camped and hiked for a night and day.
Elsa picked wildflowers everywhere we went, so we always had a beautiful bouquet for our table.

This picture makes me a little dizzy! Jesse is sitting on a cliff about 20 feet above a little pond.

The wild bee balm was scenting the woods all around the pond, and was very attractive to both the bees and Elsa.

Here's a view of the cliff from the bottom side. Lucy and Jesse both climbed up the rocks to the top. Robin gave it a worthy try, but about 5 feet from the top he got a bit nervous and had to go back down. Fine with me!

The rock formations were really amazing. But poor Jill was having a hard time noticing anything. Her emotions were still a twinge raw missing her missionary Jared...

We were very lucky with the weather, it was overcast and cool so the drive and hike were really wonderful. We camped in the woods, rough camping rather than a campground, so we were all alone. It was so quiet and peaceful - only the sounds of the birds and squirrels and the wind through the pine trees. We got rained on late in the night, but our tents kept the water out and we stayed cozy and warm.

A bedtime carrot for Carrot

2009-06-30T08:10:00.003-07:00

Elsa was so cute last night feeding her bunny a bedtime snack. She was so excited when he stood up on his little back legs "Just like Peter Rabbit!" She loves her little bunny so much! His name is "Carrot" and his brother is Robin's bunny "Clover". Both were rescued along with thier 9 brothers and sisters by our friend Ryan. Robin and Elsa were thrilled to be allowed to pick out two for thier very own, and have been taking excellent care of thier little bunnies.

When we first brought the bunnies home, Carrot had a broken leg. Happily, with some popsicle stick splinting his leg healed perfectly, so now, 3 weeks later he is a very happy and active bunny!

Missionary Farewell

2009-06-24T09:33:00.003-07:00

Today Jared leaves for the MTC. We all said our farewells to him yesterday, and although his sweet, fun spirit will be greatly missed around here, we are so proud of his choice to serve a mission! This picture is of him opening his mission call letter in April. It has been such an exciting couple of months seeing him prepare to go.
So where is he going on his mission? Well, Elsa said when first asked "It starts with an E, is close to Italy, and not too far from Pennsylvania!" Hmm. Let's see, that would be Richmond Virginia, of course!

Felting

2009-06-24T08:16:00.004-07:00

Just look at the gorgeous wool roving Lucy and I found last week! We went to downtown Mesa for an afternoon out, and stopped in at my favorite yarn and fiber shop, The Fiber Factory. There, right in the window, were these beautiful, sunset colored hanks of roving from Pagewood Farm. I couldn't resist! And finally I have just what I was looking for to make Elsa a fairy crown for her birthday inspired by the ones here.

Summer Solstice

2009-06-23T13:38:00.002-07:00

Ok, I know this may look more winter solstice appropriate, but this is how we celebrated. A day late. Sunday was just so full with Father's Day celebrating and also celebrating Jill's sweet friend Jared leaving on his mission. We left home at 7:50 a.m. on Sunday, and other than stopping back in for a few minutes to feed the animals, we did not come home until well past 10:00 p.m.! So last night, after the long hot day, when the summer sun finally went to bed, we gathered around the table and made star lanterns. They were so beautiful all glowing and warm, everyone sat in quiet wonderment and I made up a story about a little girl who meets the fairies on midsummer night. It was a lovely, enchanting evening!

Double Watermelons!

2009-06-19T23:00:00.004-07:00

This week I was honored to receive two watermelon awards from two amazing ladies! Thank you so much Jane and Linda!

Accepting this award means that I list 6 things that make me happy, so here they are:

1. My wonderful, sweet husband who loves me in spite of all my eccentricities (or maybe, hopefully, because of my eccentricities!)

2. My 5 amazing children who have brought me back to magic and wonderment, and make me smile every day.

3. My home - the warmth inside and the green outside are everything I could have wished for (short of an estate in England, lol!)

4. My garden - I'm not the most amazing green thumb, but working out there brings me such peace and joy.

5. My animals - just watching all the new babies makes me smile!

6. My sister Missy, who always makes me laugh and accepts me for who I am even when she knows I could be better.

Now, to nominate refreshing blogs...blogs I love to visit and always make me smile...and that haven't already received this award!

1. My sister Missy, who shares her amazing talents on http://fairychildheirlooms.wordpress.com/

2. My sister Hanne, who has an incredible eye for beauty and knows how to create warmth in a home http://todaysmybestday.blogspot.com/ I'm also including her creative blog where she shares the most delicious recipes... http://todaysmybestcreativeday.blogspot.com/ (you can pick which one the award goes to, Hanne! You don't have to do it twice!)

3. Suzanne in South Africa, who has the most beautiful family, home, and garden, and makes the sweetest things for her etsy shop. http://downinthemeadow.blogspot.com/

4. Tammy in Idaho, who finds things to smile about in spite of trials, and you know her hapiness is contagious just by looking at her sweet girls who are always smiling! http://laughlivelearnlove.blogspot.com/

5. My new friend, Fawn, who seriously cracks me up when I read her blog! http://fawndear.blogspot.com/

Summer Salad

2009-06-12T10:01:00.002-07:00

Now that hot weather has really set in I can't seem to get enough of this yummy salad. Especially with fresh herbs and vegis from the garden!
It's super simple, and lasts really well since there's no lettuce in it. If I need greens, I just add them individually. Recipe? Well, I just cut a bunch of cherry or grape tomatoes in half, cut up some cucumber into bite-size pieces, cut a bell pepper into dices, mince some red onion, chop up a small handful of fresh basil, oregeno, and dill. Mix it all together, add a sprinkle of sea salt, some good feta cheese if I'm in the mood, maybe some artichoke hearts and greek olives, and a dash of vinagrette. Mmmmm....

I wish I had more of these amazing tomatoes to toss in! these are Black Krim tomatoes that I planted in April. They are soooo good!!! These two ripened up a few days ago, but all the rest are green. Hopefully soon I will have more than we can eat. There's really nothing like fresh fruit and vegis from your own garden, unless it's from your neighbor's garden, lol! We do a lot of produce sharing in our neighborhood. Thanks to my wonderful neighbors I haven't bought any apricots or lemons or apples this spring, and I can hardly wait for plums - any day now!

It's a Filly!

2009-05-23T12:05:00.004-07:00

Last night our Haflinger mare, Grace (affectionately known as "Kleine") finally had her little foal! We have been so excited this past 11 months waiting for the grand event. Last summer we bred her to the most adorable POA stallion, Tough Rocket. He is a ghost leopard appaloosa and has thrown spotted babies every time. What would we get???

After watching Grace all day, we finally looked out at about 11:30 p.m. and saw that the baby was on her way out. Jill ran out immediately while I grabbed the camera and everyone I could wake up! The foal was born around 11:45. Everything perfectly normal and healthy.

She was trying to stand within just a few minutes, but it took a while to build up the strength. Jill went in to the stall and dried her with a towel as the poor baby was shivering a bit. The vigorous rubbing really motivated her to try to get up. Here she is almost an hour old reaching out with her neck, up on her front knees....

...and she faceplants! So wobbley and funny/sweet!

Finally, at almost exactly an hour old, she's up on her feet. Grace is laying down again though, and the baby began to look everywhere for something to suckle!

Ahhh, at last! Found that nice warm milk! She nursed long and strong, even went around and tried the other side.

Here she is, five hours old and just adorable. She was trotting around her stall and curious to see us when we went out to check. So what is that color anyway? We had really expected a chestnut appaloosa. Well, after much searching we discovered that black is dominant over chestnut, and since Rocket (dad) is genetically black (I know he looks white in the pictures, but that is the appaloosa gene) the baby would not be chestnut. So why that silvery color? That is from the pangare gene (also known as mealy) that is dominant in Haflingers. It acts as a dilutant and gives her belly, legs, and muzzle that lighter color, and softens the black throughout. Anyway, we think she is gorgeous!

And we love her!

Princess' 1st kidding

2009-04-29T22:09:00.004-07:00

Our little blue-eyed Princess kidded yesterday with two darling doelings! They are amazingly precocious and adorable. Of course, all baby goats are adorable...
If you would like to see how a goat is born, visit our goat blog for a pictorial of her birth. But be warned, it's not for the squeemish!

Jill's Junior Prom

2009-04-27T08:34:00.006-07:00

A few weeks ago, Jill came to me with this picture and said she wanted her prom dress to be something like it. She had found the dress on http://www.unique-vintage.com/ and fell in love with the wrapped bodice, vintage adornments, and beaded lace overlay. "You can make it, right mom?" ....er....of course I can!

So, we went pattern shopping and the closest we found was this...well, it's a start anyway!

I actually took Jill out of school for a day to shop for the fabric! We were running out of time to order fabric, so we had to know if we could find something in town. Thankfully we did! The cameo pink silk dupioni came from Mesa Sales, and the embroidered and beaded netting came from JoAnn's.

Now, I have a lovely sewing room complete with a cutting counter thanks to my darling David, but when it comes to cutting out more than 2 yards we use the living room floor. We laid out the 8 yards of silk and bravely made the first cut...

A day of sewing and the basic dress was ready. Now for the hard part - the wrapped bodice and sleeves. I don't have any pictures of the process, I was way too focused on figuring it out to take any! We actually put Jill in the dress, and wrapped, pinned, marked and cut the pieces on her, then took them off and sewed and gathered. It took about 5 times longer and 3 times more thought than I expected! This was the most challenging sewing I have ever done!

We were finally getting close to finish, but hadn't found the jewels for the bodice pieces yet. Lucy and I had hunted out the Mesa antique stores but hadn't been inspired by anything. Luckily, our saving angel came in the form of our dear neighbor, Cecilia Basilotto! She had been watching out the window during dinner, and when Jill never came out she began to wonder what was going on. So over she came, found us up to our necks in last-minute sewing, and said "Come with me Lucy, I have just the thing!" She showed Lucy an amazing box of vintage jewelry and they chose the perfect brooch for the top, and found a bracelet with little jeweled roses that we took apart for the other pieces. It turned out perfect!!

When Jared arrived her hair, makeup, and long gloves were ready - but no dress!

Jill pinned on his boutonniere (she had made it herself from roses and jasmine in our garden).

Finally! The dress was done (not without more drama - the zipper broke as we were putting it on - I hate those nylon invisible zippers!! We actually had to sew her in to the dress! Next time - buttons). Jared gave her a sweet wrist corsage and they were ready to go at last.

Out the door! They had a great time at the dance - Jill's dress was the prettiest, of course!! She was so happy and so beautiful!

Earth Day

2009-04-22T22:36:00.002-07:00

I had thought we would celebrate the day by finishing the work in our garden - moving the rest of this compost pile and planting the beans and lettuce. But, things don't always work out as planned. Instead, I spent the morning cleaning out goat stalls so that Princess doesn't catch us unprepared (she isn't due until May 4th, but she's enormous!) And then I spent the (too hot to work outside anyway) afternoon finishing the tidying of my sewing room so that I can get started on Jill's Prom dress. (More about that later!) Don't even ask about homeschooling! Ok, so they did both do some really nice reading aloud, found and identified a caterpillar, discoverd hummingbirds in both the front and back yards, and they helped take care of our poor goat, Dancer, who hasn't been feeling well and needed some extra love. So if it seemed that it was just an ordinary day, well, I can smile with the realization that every day is Earth Day around here!

County Fair Fun!

2009-04-20T11:02:00.004-07:00

This was our sixth year as a family showing our animals at the Maricopa County Fair. It was a very fun and exhausting week, but well worth the effort. We took 14 goats, 5 chickens, and our 2 turkeys, and they all won ribbons!
After the goat show on Friday we all took some fun time and rode the rides. David loves this time of the fair as he can ride all the scary rides with the kids. I usually just do the tame rides with Elsa as I am really, no I mean REALLY not in to being spun, dropped, and turned upside-down!

Jesse's only entry in the goat show was his LaMancha doe, Pirouette. He bottle-raised her from a baby when her mama rejected her last spring. If you go to our goat blog you will see him feeding her on the blog banner. She won first place in her class of senior yearlings.

Here are all our goat ribbons! The biggest excitement of the day was our little Merci, who took Grand Champion Senior Doe and Grand Champion Nigerian Dwarf! Hers is the big black and gold ribbon.

Remember our lovely Tom Turkey? Well here are all the prizes he brought home!! I guess I'm not the only one who thinks he's a handsome devil! He won a blue ribbon, Champion Turkey, Class Champion, and a trophy for Champion of all other fowl. He actually won more awards than any other bird at the fair!!

I will have more about the goat show on my goat blog just as soon as I get the rest of the pictures from my mom...

New Birds

2009-04-16T23:09:00.005-07:00

Robin and Elsa are totally fascinated with "their" new

Snow White Trenton Racing Homer Pigeons:

"Silk" and "Sugar Plum"

Thank you Ryan for adding to our menagerie! We love them!

Now to build an aviary as beautiful as these birds...

Easter Basket Swap 2

2009-04-16T08:18:00.004-07:00

Real quick, because I really need to get over to the county fair...but Missy keeps bugging me to post the pictures of what I sent for the Very Vintage Easter Basket Swap! So here it is:

All packaged up and ready to go!

I made the linen emroidered bunny towel, framed Faith picture, pom pom bunny and chick, vintage easter art tags. The German paper mache egg is filled with Desiree's favorite Easter treat - Hershey's candy coated milk chocolate eggs.

Desiree did receive her package in time for Easter and reported that she loved it all!

Thanks Desiree for being a great partner, and thanks Heidi for hosting such a fun swap!!

Carrot Cake

2009-04-14T07:56:00.001-07:00

My Mom requested that I post the recipe for the altered carrot cake cupcakes I made on Easter. They were made with 100% whole wheat flour, and no sugar - just applesauce and agave nectar.

3 cups packed shredded carrots

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 cups finely ground (pastry style) soft white wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup raw amber agave nectar

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

5 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup golden raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin tins with cupcake papers. (this recipe made 36)

2. Combine carrots and lemon juice in a bowl, set aside.

3. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together. Beat in agave nectar and applesauce until blended. Mix in carrots. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla, walnuts, and raisins. Pour in to muffin tins.

4. Bake for 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

5. Remove from oven and move cupcakes to wire cooling rack.

They are really more like carrot muffins, and would probably be great for breakfast with a smoothie. I think if I were to experiment again I might throw in 1/2 cup yogurt for a finer texture and more moisture. I did frost them with cream cheese frosting which I made by beating together 16 ounces of cream cheese and 2/3 cups agave nectar.

The little bird nests are not at all healthy! I made them by melting 6 tablespoons of butter, 1/2 package of large marshmallows, and stirring in about 3 cups of toasted coconut. When it was all still warm I molded it into the little nest shapes and filled with jelly beans.

Ostheimer Easter

2009-04-13T15:46:00.004-07:00

Every year we put a few new Ostheimer figures in the Easter baskets. Here are the ones from this year. All the kids love these - even the teenagers! I think their warmth and beauty and spirit are so special. I love having natural and beautiful toys for the kids for many reasons, but one of the best is that looking at them brings joy to everyone. It is almost like they are playing with art, and when the toys get left laying around it is a beautiful mess rather than an annoying one!

Ducklings!

2009-04-13T15:19:00.006-07:00

One of the fun things about living on a mini-farm is having baby poultry for Easter. This year I put duck eggs and silkie eggs in the incubator, timed so they would all hatch by Easter morning.

Here they are just coming out of the eggs. We let them dry in the incubator for a few hours before we take them out. The timing was just right this year, all the babies pipped their shells Friday night/Saturday morning and were all out of the eggs by Saturday night. They were able to dry and fluff up all night in the incubator, and by the time the kids were done with the egg hunt Sunday, the chicks and ducklings were ready to be put in a basket and brought out to be loved!

Hmmm, this little chick has a pompom chick buddy!

Sweet little ducklings in an Easter basket lined with an old grackle nest.

Here is Papa duck and the two mamas - Jude is the pretty grey mallard cross, and Jemima of course is the white appleyard.

Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-13T14:19:00.003-07:00

We have church at 8:00 a.m., so this year our hunt was delayed. The kids all popped up at 6:30 (normally on Sunday mornings we have to pry them out of bed) excited to see what was in their baskets. After church we were such mean parents and made them wait until after brunch (hot cross buns, easter eggs, bacon, goat milk). Daddy went outside and called the Easter Bunny, we closed the curtains and huddled in the living room, and finally it was time!!

The "Easter Egg Warriors" are ready for the hunt.

Some of the eggs were hidden really well. Each child had 16 eggs to find, color coded so they knew which to pick up. It actually took about 1/2 an hour to find them all! The last egg was Robin's, I wish I had taken a picture of it. It was a shiny gold egg hidden up in a branch of a peach tree. Looking up it reflected everything around it, so was very hard to see!

It was a beautiful warm, sunny afternoon. Funny, the day before was cold and rainy. Everyone stayed outside to inspect the contents of their eggs - chocolate, stickers, tiny animals, tops, etc...

David got in to the fun by showing the boys how to toss a chocolate egg up as far as you can throw it and catch it in your mouth!

And I just laid back in the grass and listened to happy kids, birds, and wind in the pine trees.

Happy Birthday, Jesse!

2009-04-11T19:27:00.002-07:00

I am now the mother of three teenagers! Jesse's 13th birthday was yesterday, and I have to say that I am quite happy with my teenagers. They are good kids and really a ton of fun!

As it was Good Friday, Jesse had his birthday off of school. He started out the day with blueberry and raspberry muffins (the traditional hot cross buns are being delayed until Easter Morn this year.) and opening his presents. He spent the day playing his new game, then had some boys over for dinner and cake, "Apples to Apples" (hilarious with 13 year old boys!) and an "outdoor adventure game". As soon as it was dark, the boys divided in to groups and were dropped off at the nether ends of the neighborhood. The challenge was to return back to the house by 8:00 without being spotted by Jill and Uncle Jared and his girlfriend Jenny. Everyone came tumbling in laughing and mostly triumphant with tales of bravery and narrow escapes and ready for cake and ice cream right on schedule. It was a great day!

Easter Basket Swap

2009-04-09T08:47:00.001-07:00

Well, I bravely participated in Heidi Devlin's of Foxgloves, Fabric and Folly "Very Vintage Easter Basket Swap". Here is what my partner, Desiree, sent me... A whole box of fun Easter goodies! Ornaments, lavender soap and spray, Mary Engelbreit notepads & magnets, cute fabric pom pom pen made by Desiree, German Easter eggs....
A darling bunny candy dish filled with my favorite chocolate malted milk eggs (these have always been the "taste" of Easter for me!)

A sweet vintage hanky (how did she guess?) and cute little chick ornament she made out of salt dough.
Thanks Desiree! You were a great partner!

(I will post pictures of what I sent Desiree just as soon as she receives it...)

Spring Break

2009-03-24T11:49:00.004-07:00

It was a quiet week last week, hence no posting... We had spring break, but didn't go anywhere. It was actually really nice to just have a quiet week with no school. Here are a few images of what we were doing.

We celebrated my Oma's 90th birthday. Here David is serving her a piece of her cake. It was a great day, with most of my Bielefeldt cousins and all my siblings there. I have to say, Oma has really passed on her love of life and fun and her creativity to her posterity!

Popcorn popping on the apricot tree...the whole yard is in bloom now. Ahh, spring!

Our Saint Patrick's Day feast. We usually have lamb stew rather than corned beef, but this year the kids wanted both. So Monday we had the stew with Irish soda bread, and a family home evening about St. Patrick and missionary work. On Tuesday we had the corned beef and cabbage meal, which also lent itself to awesome Reuben sandwiches the next day.

We finally finished up Elsa's other pixie swap. This is just a sneak peek...the bag is filled with more treasures! It goes in the mail today, and hopefully will arrive safely in Singapore.

And, we celebrated the newest birth in the goat barn! Jill's Nubian, Kitty, kidded with just one little buckling. He is really adorable, and Kitty's milk is amazing!

A Friendly Exchange

2009-03-17T11:30:00.003-07:00

Look what came in the mail yesterday! Last week I sent my friend Tammy some oranges and marmelade to brighten her cold Idaho spring. You can read her post about it here. Yesterday afternoon the kids came running in with a box, "look Mommy! You got a package! Open it right now!" Sure enough, there was a box from Tammy with some of her homemade apple butter and plum butter and two beautiful crocheted washcloths. I could barely get a picture taken before the bottles were opened up and the wonderful spreads slathered on thick slices of bread. Mmmmm. So good! Thanks, Tammy!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T07:51:00.002-07:00

Robin's Pixie Swap

2009-03-16T10:29:00.003-07:00

When everyone was getting excited about Fairy and Pixie swaps, Robin really wanted to participate too. Fortunately one of Missy's friends has a son about Robin's age who also wanted to participate, so they got to be partners. Both boys had fun being creative and magical!

Here is what Robin made for Ezie. He sewed the pouch himself and helped with the brass eyelets. He felted a ball and a pouch, and made the borax crystal ornament. He made the wand almost entirely on his own with a stick from our yard, copper wire, wool roving, and peacock feathers from our peacocks.

Robin was so excited to come home from playing on Saturday and find his box from Ezie! He ripped right in to it and found all the great treasures above. Thanks, Ezie for being a great partner! Robin loves everything you sent, has already used some of the tattoos and driven us all crazy with the noisemakers :-)

Elsa's Pixie Swap

2009-03-10T22:08:00.004-07:00

Elsa's partner for the Pixie Swap was FawnDear's little Princess. These little girls had a great time coming up with magical goodies for each other!

Here is Elsa opening her package. She was so excited to find it in the mail and had to open it immediately, of course!

And here is all her magical goodness. The wand is so sweet! On the other side it says "A dream is a wish your heart makes" which made all of us swoon! It's our favorite Cinderella quote. Thank you, Princess and Fawn!

Here is all the sweetness that Elsa sent to Princess. She had so much fun felting the little pouch, stringing the beads on the bracelet, painting all the blue on the pixie doll, and gathering up all the tiny little things.

Luck of the Fae Swap

2009-03-10T21:47:00.004-07:00

Whew! My first swap is finally complete! My partner was Fawn~Dear and it was a delight to swap with her. I would love to be her partner again!

Here are all the goodies Fawn sent to me...I couldn't believe she sent one of her fairy doors! And Fawn, where did you find the Flower Fairy seeds?! The wand is wood-burned and painted with roses and a quote from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream", one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. I love how it says "Fairy Queen Beth Miller"!

Here is the enchanting little doll Fawn made. She has the sweetest flower petal dress, and soft golden hair. Aren't those wings beautiful? Fawn says she made them from a flexible cutting board from the dollar store! So creative!

Here is what I made for Fawn. I think I got a little carried away with the ribbons and charms on the wand! The shamrock pin is my first ever needle-felting project and it was really fun.

Once I got the little doll made, I couldn't resist making her a little house out of a seed pot. It's wallpapered with old seed packets and pages from an old gardening book. It was a blast to make!

Here's a close-up of the plethora of charms and stuff on the wand. I had a great time with this swap. It was so fun to be really creative for a change. Thanks, Fawn for being an awesome partner!

A blog for kindred spirits

2009-03-03T08:34:00.002-07:00

My dear sisters (blood, and in spirit, and that includes you, Mom!)

I found this blog last night. It has so much of what unites us! Go visit, prepare to relax and stay a while...

http://buttonwillowchronicles.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Did I Mention Snowdrops?

2009-03-03T07:10:00.002-07:00

Sorry! He was so cute I couldn't resist. We made the little pixie for one of our swap partners, and then noticed that the snowdrop fit perfectly. Of course it doesn't last, but it made a sweet picture.

An Award

2009-03-02T19:18:00.004-07:00

My friend Tammy awarded me this "Tree of Happiness". She is so sweet!

I was really touched by her comment that came with it : "Beth at Road to Joy - Her blog is so peaceful, loving, and magical...one of my favorites!"

Thanks Tammy! You brightened my day!