Halloween...

Well Halloween has come again...

 October has made its way round, and before I even fully saw its face, 

it has already made plans to be on its way...

 Pumpkins and squash have hit their peek, and now are resting until either, they will be consumed as food, carved into lanterns or perhaps just left to become compost that will help build the soil for plantings to come...

 We made pumpkin doughnuts… the recipe of which is right here

The kids spent yesterday afternoon carving scary faces on their chosen pumpkins… 

I think this might be the first year each of them could could actually carve their own pumpkin… Wow!)

 And then there are these little guys, so oblivious of the haunting and sweets 

gathering that is about to happen!!

                                                       Happy Halloween !!! ~  Marica


Also blogged at wasabihoneybee.blogspot.com

Getting Back in the Swing...

I ask myself this constantly… Where does time go???  Is it really, now, late October? The kids keep reminding me that there is just a short, short while before Halloween will be here, and hence, costumes will need to be finished. I say finished like I have already started… No no, they are still just a jumble of ideas… I think a lot of black cloth is involved though. 

But for this moment, I just want to catch up...

Our year has begun...

 The work has started...

I look out my kitchen window to see this...

I spend a short bit of time at my living-room-table over seeing these squiggly lines becoming letters...

 And notice how quickly they become so much more fluid and clear...

It's all coming together...

Our pattern is falling into place…

Or so I tell myself…

                                                                                   ~ Marica

                                       

Also blogged at wasabihoneybee.blogspot.com

Summer Art Camp

Last week…

We held an art camp..

We indulged in so many projects...

 The paper mache puppets…

And block printing were my own favorites…

I loved watching each child find so completely their own way of doing things...

What a fun, busy week it was…

                                                                               ~ Marica

Also blogged at wasabihoneybee.blogspot.com

Time has been flying…

Aprons have been officially finished…

The girls are thrilled...

 Writing...

 And reading has been in the air...

 So far, so fun...

Summer weather has been blasting spring out of the way… I'm not so sure I feel okay about that...

But this is California and I can't say I didn't know…

Happy May and all the warmth to come ~ Marica

Also blogged at wasabihoneybee.blogspot.com

A bit of fire making . . .

Today was a really fun day with all the kids. We had a guest/friend/dad come in and 

demonstrate a slew of survival skills. Mainly he showed us how to make fire with the 

use of friction: Bow-drill,  hand-drill, and the last one was new to me, bamboo. 

The kids were very involved, and it brought me back to when I was a kid and my parents hosted 

a "Tom Brown" camp at our home in the mountains. 

We learned the same technics . . . 

And the fresh smell of fire made the exact same smell . . .

  Everyone got a chance to try the tools and put their best power toward making fire . . .

 It certainly is tricky business . . .

 I believe it would take a fair while for any of these kids to master it . . .

And for anyone who has never read Tom Brown’s book The Tracker it is a must. 

Read it yourself, or if you can, read it to some kids . . .

                                                  Cheers ~ Marica

Also posted at: Wasabihoneybee.blogspot.com

Done!!

This post should have been published over a week ago, but hey, sometimes things get a little behind. 

We finally finished the dolls . . . They're done!!!

I am so so happy with them. We have worked for weeks starting with socks for the inner strength of the head, until the final addition of red beeswax crayon as rosy cheeks . . .

The kids took such care with every step along the way . . .

Each doll is so unique . . .

This project meant as much to me as it did them. I'll never forget making these five dolls with these  five girls. Spending the morning sitting together in a circle on the rug, working working, deciding deciding, creating creating.

                                     To doll making and its simple satisfaction ~ Marica