November Handwork....Necklace of Indian Corn

Toucie removes kernels from dried ears of Indian Corn...

...sorts the kernels into colorful piles...

...softens the kernels by soaking them in water...for 2 or 3 days (!)...

...and uses a needle and thread to string them ...

...creating careful patterns with kernels and beads.

Math - check
Botany - check
Art - check
Handwork - check
Fine Motor Skills - check
Patience and Concentration - check
Proud and Happy Kid - check!

A milkweed moment...

Special Handwork....Tooth Fairy Pillowcase

We've dropped everything around here for some urgent handwork...Toucie has her first loose tooth and it could fall out at any second now...we need a special tooth fairy pillowcase.

We have a very special pillowacase that that my grandmother made for me when I was small. It has sweet embroidery and a tiny pocket stitched on where one can stash one's tooth in case a tooth fairy should come in search of a trade. I used it faithfully as a youngster, and so did Naya, Sodie, and Mado when they were small. Well, it is Toucie's turn and the pillowcase is nowhere to be found. Time to whip something up!

I thought I would zip up a little case out of linen, add a pocket, and maybe a bit of embroidery like my grandmother did, but Toucie had grander visions. After a peek in the scrap box, she was committed to a plan that involved color and variety and a lot more work than mine. So we turned it into a homeschool handwork project. Toucie tore strips of favorite fabrics and ironed them all smooth. We laid them all out side by side.

I stitched all the strips together and pressed all the seams flat. Toucie used marks that I had drawn on the fabric to cut a neat rectangle. This made a 4 inch border for the pillowcase. I pieced this together with a blue fabric and constructed the case.

Next we chose a bit of fabric for the tiny pocket and stitched that on by hand.

And here is a not-so-good photo of how it turned out...but wait a minute...

Toucie had further plans...she made a pocket all by herself  and wanted to stitch it on the other side of the pillowcase.

Can you see her little pocket there above the bunny? (I think she incorporated some packing tape, too, but who am I to question the methods of an artist?).

So now we're ready. Oh, and guess what I just found?

November Baking....Pumpkin Muffins

Even though Halloween is tucked away until the earth turns 'round once more, pumpkins are still featuring large around here! We are still making Pumpkin Pies...they don't last long around here. And a few days ago, we cut a pumpkin in half and used one part to make Pumpkin Soup...the other half, we baked and saved for Pumpkin Muffins - one of our very favorite things to eat!

Pumpkin Muffins

1/2 of a pumpkin, baked and scooped from its shell ( about 2 cups)
1/3 c coconut oil (or melted butter)
2 eggs
1/3 c applesauce
2/3 c raw sugar

1 1/2 c white wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp cinnamon

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a muffin tin.
-Stir first 5 ingredients together in a bowl, mixing well and making sure the pumpkin is beaten quite smooth.
-In a separate bowl, blend the last 8 ingredients together.
-Add wet ingredients to dry ones and very gently mix...just enough to bring the ingredients together.
-Spoon into prepared muffin tin and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
-Makes 1 dozen

These are also good with a handful of pumpkin seeds (or sunflower seeds, slivered almonds, chopped pecans, etc) thrown in with the dry ingredients...a sneaky dose of protein to go with all that secret vitamin A :)

November Painting.....The Storm

THE STORM

In my bed all safe and warm
I like to listen to the storm.
The thunder rumbles loud and grand -
The rain goes splash and whisper; and
The lightening is so sharp and bright
It sticks its fingers through the night.
                                      -Dorothy Aldis

(paint freely with blue)

The14th annual Elves' Faire...

Every Autumn, our local Waldorf school, Linden Waldorf, hosts a festive community celebration called the Elves' Faire. It is a joyous tumble of outdoor games, crafts, storytelling, music, food, puppet shows and wonder...all staffed by the parents of the school. This has been going on for 14 years here in Nashville...for some of those years we've had children enrolled in the school and at other times we haven't...either way, we wouldn't miss it for the world!

The school grounds and classrooms are used to house the different craft activities and games, etc...children's artwork and beautiful lazured walls are everywhere

Toucie and Daddy rolled candles to bring home using sheets of beeswax ...there was also a room for candle dipping, but we will save that for another year when Toucie is older.  With all that beeswax, this whole part of the building smelled like warm honey!

There were opportunities for folding beautiful window stars out of translucent kite paper...there are several tutorials out there for making these at home.

...making exotic fairy wands woven with fanciful threads and embellished with feathers....

...there was a wood-working room where you could build a wooden boat or a dancing Limberjack...

Here is the one Toucie and Daddy made...I love him!

Outside, there were student performances by the different grade levels...these 5th graders, who are studying Ancient Civilizations as part of their curriculum this year, are performing a dance from India.

The 8th graders could be seen walking around on stilts all day long!

8th graders are also considered mature enough to help staff all the activities...here is one helping Toucie in the Face-Painting booth....so sweet! (I remember him in pre-school!!!)

There were unique and fabulous things to do like this...those kids are using this elaborate wooden machine to twist colorful acrylic yarn into a jumprope...so cool.

Here's the "manly" one daddy made last year with black, grey, and green yarns.

The school operates a little store called The Linden Seeds Store where local folks can come to purchase Waldorf toys, art supplies, books, and handwork goods. They stock it to bursting for the Elves Faire...here you can see the merchandise spilling out onto the driveway outside the storefront. (Its open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 - 4pm if you are local!)

There are a lot of talented musicians and artists who are parents here...and they pitch in just like everyone else! These fellows provided some great background tunes for the festivities :)

This is Pockets, the elf. Many Waldorf schools celebrate the fall or winter with an Elves' Faire, and Pockets is a common feature at most of them. Dressed in huge overalls, with zillions of pockets stitched on (full of tiny wrapped treasures), Pockets strolls the grounds, passing out little treats to the children.

...some treasures from Pockets...

Jousting, Jacob's Ladder, archery, face painting, puppet shows, a storyteller, a beanbag toss, and probably some other things that we missed....so much to do and see, all on a beautiful autumn day!
I am so grateful for the continued relationship my family has with this school. Being a part of this community is a blessing. :)

November Handwork...Heavy Sandbags

 

During handwork this week, Toucie and I made half a dozen 5 pound sandbags to use during circletime. Right now we incorporate them into our movements as we sing about hauling corn and meal to and from the mill, but they have endless other uses for Toucie to discover.

There is not much to them...they are just like giant beanbags (filled with sand instead of beans). To make the project child-friendly we took it slow...worked 2 days to complete them. I divided the steps of construction like this:
1) I measured the fabric, Toucie tore it into the rectangles needed
2) I stitched the pairs of rectangles together on three sides to make a "pillowcase", Toucie turned them all right-side-out
3) Toucie filled each "pillowcase" 3/4 full of sand, I stitched them closed as she completed filling each one.
4) I put away all the materials and supplies, Toucie swept up all the stray sand with her wisk broom.
Voila! Done...

I like to have alot of ideas in my pocket for indoor movement and exercise as the cold months approach...playing/working/building/pretending/stacking with soft, safe, heavy sandbags (great to pair with beanbags!) are some ways to get muscles moving indoors :)