Today is brought to you by the letter "w"!

Owen is expressing a bit of interest in letters, at least the letter "w", for now. And a few requests for me to write an "e" on his paper the other day too. I am stunned, it seems so early for him to be interested in letters! We haven't focused on that at all with him. Here are today's "w"s - Owen's are the red ones in the corner. He asked me to write a bunch, pointing to each spot where they should go, then pointed to the red writing in the corner of the page and looked at me, answering "yes" when I asked if those were his"w"s. 

Gathering resources for Martinmas!

Collecting ideas for our Martinmas celebration...

A few lantern songs on YouTube:

Glimmer Lantern Glimmer http://youtu.be/skwBPMAXZDE

My Lantern http://youtu.be/_0zciVzi4AQ

I Go Outside With My Lantern http://youtu.be/rbC-sHkIs7o

Three songs, including My Lantern, the one at the end of this story, and Glimmer Lantern Glimmer http://youtu.be/tacxLRMSi1Y

Also - This Little Light of Mine!

Glimmer Lantern Glimmer

Glimmer, lantern, glimmer
Little stars a-shimmer
Over meadow, moor and dale
Flitter, flutter, elfin veil
Pee-wit, pee-wit, tikka-tikka-tik
Rucoo, rucoo.

Glimmer, lantern, glimmer
Little stars a-shimmer
Over rock and stock and stone
Wandering, skipping, little gnome
Pee-wit, pee-wit, tikka-tikka-tik
Rucoo, rucoo.

I Go Outside With My Lantern

I go outside with my lantern, my lantern goes with me
Above the stars are shining bright, down here on Earth shine we.
The cock does crow, the cat meows, la bimmel, la bammel, la boom.
‘Neath heaven’s dome till we go home, la bimmel, la bammel, la boom.

I go outside with my lantern, my lantern goes with me
Above the stars are shining bright, down here on Earth shine we.
So shine your light through the still dark night, la bimmel, la bammel, la boom
‘Neath heaven’s dome till we go home, la bimmel, la bammel, la boom.

My Lantern (version 1)

My lantern, my lantern, carried for St. Martin

The sun and moon and stars do shine

To kindle with joy this heart of mine.

My Lantern (version 2)

My lantern, my lantern,

Sun and moon and stars,

Put out all the lights, put out all the lights

So my lantern can really shine bright. 

Sunlight Fast is Dwindling

(The) sunlight fast is dwindling,
My little lamp needs kindling.
Its beam shines far (bright) in darkest night,
Dear Lantern, guard (guide) me with your light.

A Story of Autumn Light:
Once upon a time there was a little boy who lived with his mother and his father and his baby sister. He played all summer long in his shorts and bare-feet, feeling the hot sun on his face. Then, one day, the ground started to get cold, and he had to put on shoes. Then the wind started to blow! He was chilly! He had to put on a sweater to keep warm. The leaves started to turn colors and fall off of the trees. “What’s happening?” he asked his mother. “Autumn is here,” said his mother, “and soon Winter will be on its way. Do you see how the squirrels are collecting nuts for the winter? And the mice are collecting seeds. And our dog is growing a nice, thick coat to keep himself warm.” The little boy thought about this for a few days, and he did notice the squirrel collecting nuts. And when he petted his dog, he noticed that his coat was getting thick and bushy. A few more days went by, and the boy said, “Mother, it seems like the world used to be full of sunshine, but now it is getting dark. Will it keep getting darker and darker?” And he mother replied, “Yes, it will get darker and darker each evening until the deep winter. The world is getting ready to sleep.” The boy thought about this for a few more days, and he said, “Mother, will we be dark and cold, too?” “No,” said his mother, “We will stay warm, but it won’t be the sun that warms us as much. During these dark, cold months, we will have to find our own lights!” “How can we do that?” the boy asked. “We can do that by lighting fires in the fireplace, by lighting candles all around, by wearing warm clothes and even by making lanterns to take our light with us outside in the dark! And we can keep ourselves and others warm by doing acts of kindness, to warm our hearts.” That little boy and his mother and father made lanterns to bring their lights outside, and when they were done, they took their lanterns out and sang sweet songs, and knocked on their neighbors’ doors to take them some fresh-baked banana bread, to keep them warm as well. And the boy and his family kept their lights lit and their hearts warm all through the Autumn, and through the Winter as well.

A Martinmas Lantern Story:

There one was a girl called Naiya who had who had been outside in the garden all through the Summer running after the butterflies, jumping like a grasshopper, singing like a bird, and trying to catch the sunlight. One day when she was lying on her back in the meadow gazing up into the sun-filled sky, she said, “Dear Brother Sun, soon the Autumn winds will blow and wail, and Jack Frost will come and make us all freeze, and the nights will be long and cold.”
Brother Sun pushed the clouds aside and said, “Yes, it will be dark and cold. In the deep midwinter, warmth and light live deep within, hidden from sight. In the time of dark and cold, you will tend the Light Within.”
“But,” said Naiya, “How will I tend this Light when it’s dark everywhere around me?” “I will give you a spark of my last Autumn rays once you have made a little house for it, for this spark must be guarded well. It will light the way for you to tend the Light Within throughout the time of dark and cold.”
And then Brother Sun once hid again behind a cloud. Naiya went home and wondered how best she could make a little house for the spark of the sun. She took some tissue paper and some beautiful Autumn leaves and with glue pressed them onto the outside of a glass jar. Then she bound the top with a handle and formed it into a lantern. She took a candle and put it into the middle of her lantern. And, as it was growing dark, she went outside with it.
Naiya held the lantern up above her and said, “Brother Sun, I have made a little home for one of your golden sparks. Please may I have one? I will guard it well.”
Then Brother Sun looked out from behind a cloud and said, “You have made a beautiful home. I shall give you one of my golden sparks.”
And suddenly, Naiya saw how the sides of her lantern were lit up, and as she looked into the lantern, she saw a spark happily dancing on top of the candle. Oh, how happy the light was in her lovely lantern! It shone and shone so brightly.
“Thank you, Brother Sun,” Naiya called out, “Thank you.” And she took her lantern and carried it carefully home singing: 

The sunlight fast is dwindling,
My little lamp needs kindling.
Its beam shines far in darkest night,
Dear Lantern, guard me with your light.

(from Autumn: A Collection of Poems, Songs and Stories for Young Children) 

Our first Michaelmas!

We had our first Michaelmas celebration! We kept it very simple, but it was so nice to feel like we are starting some new family traditions. I told Owen a brief gentle version of the St. Michael and the Dragon story, and we had a special dinner - chicken (apparently duck is traditional, but chicken was easier to get my hands on), carrots in an orange juice glaze (carrots are also traditional), and a loaf of bread, my nod to the dragon bread we will make together another year. Crispy, cheesy zucchini slices just because we had the veggies and they are yummy!  

Michaelmas Story of the Star Children

By Corinne Batzell, Ann Arbor, Michigan

(The teacher is wearing a golden yellow silk cape every day while telling the story.)

Once upon a time there were 20 (# of children in the class) beautiful children who lived in the stars. One by one each of these children took a long, long journey over a rainbow bridge and down to earth. They brought with them from the stars, seeds and bulbs and roots to plant in the earth to make it a good and beautiful place. They dug down into the earth and planted their seeds and bulbs and roots. They watered them when they were dry and watch that no one stepped on the places where the seeds and bulbs and roots were planted. They made sure that the weeds didn't push their way over, crowding the plants and blocking out the sun's light. As the little shoots of green poked their noses out of the earth the sun warmed them and the Star children watched over them with loving care.

But there was a terrible dragon who roamed the earth and one day he came to the garden where the Star Children had planted their seeds and bulbs and roots. The dragon didn't like to see such beautiful things coming to the earth. He felt very angry and he began to breathe red flickering fire all around the garden. The little green stalks and shoots that were growing up so carefully and beautifully began to dry up and wither and turn yellow and brown. The Star Children did not know what to do. They were so very sad that these gifts which they had brought to the earth were being destroyed by the dragon.

Suddenly a golden light filled the garden. It was a knight in shining armor riding on a beautiful white horse. In his hand was a golden sword. It was St. Michael. The knight charged at the dragon and fought him until the dragon was so worn and weary that he fell at the knight's feet and promised to be his servant.

St. Michael turned to the Star Children and smiled on them and on the garden. The plants began to grow new green shoots and leaves and the children ran to get water for them. 

St. Michael gave each child a golden cloak. These golden cloaks," he said, "will protect you always so that you may work on the earth to help all growing things."

And so the Star Children put on their golden cloaks and watched over their garden. The plants grew and there were flowers and the flowers were just the shape of stars.

(At the end of the story on the last day each child is presented with a bulb wrapped in yellow and red tissue paper and a cloak of golden yellow.)

Owen, 21 months old already!

Owey is approaching two years old, and we are starting to get organized a bit more with a daily and weekly rhythm. "Baby" care tasks still make up most of our daily rhythm - diaper changes, dressing, meals & snacks, nap time and bed time are sprinkled with playtime, simple crafts, and reading lots and lots of books! Play groups, Music Together, errand running, trips to the local farmers market, and playground visits make up our weeks. 

I am also starting to think about how best to support Owen's learning and what homeschooling might look like in our family. I'm leaning in the direction of a mixture of Waldorf and Montessori methods and materials... following Owen's lead to determine what specific methods and materials would best suit. We are lucky enough to have a Waldorf influenced outdoor nursery school the next town over from us. As my sister says, "those places were MADE for active curious kiddos like Owen! Can you sign him up today?"