Here are photos from over the past three weeks. We haven’t had our typical unit studies, and each week have continued to slow down.

Here Cora starts investigating Time.

We slowly have been examining forest life with our beautiful “forest nature journals” from Raising Up Wild Things

Sensory Play

A forest bin to tie with our forest study.

Homemade Salt play dough with nature finds for the win.

What’s sensory play without shaving cream? Lately we’ve been doing our Learning /handwriting Without Tears curriculum with it.

Handicrafts & Activities

Here’s a peak at some of the holiday crafts and gifts we’ve been creating this year! First up: embroidery hoops!

The girls also took all the buckeyes they collected from our tree and turned them into Buckeye necklaces! (Which are available for purchase in our Etsy shop!)

The girlies helped keep our holiday Bonsai Olive Tree seedlings safe from Ziggy. Though we did have to pass them out early.

As the holidays draw near, our crafts have turned from creating for others, to creating decor for us to enjoy. Below we spent an afternoon over tea making snowflake garland.

Then, we made little trees out of brown paper that we coiled into a cone shape, and simply wrapped/glued with yarn. Thanks to my sister for sending me the idea!

Fun Adventures outdoors!

We throughly enjoyed the first snow fall! The girls made snow cones, snowmans, and snowballs!

We continue to visit the property/land to check on our fort and stomp through the woods.

We took the girlies hiking up Mt. Pleasant and went disc golfing at Keller-Kirn Nature preserve park. Check out the videos below of the girls throwing. They’re getting so good!

Other Fun and Festive shenanigans

Our holiday book round up and “advent” countdown to Christmas. We started this tradition 3 years ago. Each night after dinner and before the bustle of nighttime rituals, the girls take turns choosing a book to read as a family.

And now you’re up to speed to where we are—where I am today 👇

The only thing I’m organizing right now is an afternoon handicraft activity. I’m tireddddd.🥱 Though I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t freaking out that I’m somehow not teaching them enough right now. Because non of it is typical. But mostly I’m tired of allowing myself to feel inadequate.

Although the girls aren’t in a traditional sense of school with the large majority—I’ve had to remind myself lately the whole point of homeschooling was to give them something different. Something that neither private nor public could offer. And that after 5 years of discussing educational options and opportunities for the girlies—this was the best decision for both our girls. Thank you to those who continue to support our decision, and for believing in me. A special thank you to the homeschooling community who has truly welcomed us with open arms and hearts.

Currently: The girls are in charge of their own project work and during quiet time they relax in their rooms journaling, playing, or whatever their hearts desire. It gives us some space for solitude.

Project Work: Right now McKinley is interested in becoming a Hermione Granger expert. She’s creating a poster board to display all her wizard findings. While Cora is investigating Snow Leopards and creating a video to illustrate all she’s learned.

Is it Monday again? I’m so grateful for this time and this hibernation slowdown we’re snuggling into. They days just run together.