1 c water or milk 1 Tbsp honey 2 tsp yeast 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 tsp salt 1 1/2 c white flour 1 1/2 c spelt flour (or any whole grain) beaten egg plus water
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Warm water to wrist temp and add honey Add yeast and allow to flower (bubbles - about 5 mins) Mix salt and flours Add oil to yeast mixture and to flour mixture On well floured surface knead - add flour as necessary Form ball and rub with a little olive oil Place in bowl and cover with tea towel Leave in warm place to rise 30 min (to about double) Shape as dragon Decorate with beans, dry fruit, pumpkin seeds etc Brush with a beaten egg for crust colour Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees
Of course any recipe works, but this recipe is single rise and really easy! The fun is is the building of the dragon! Our children love any excuse to make bread!
Warren Lee Cohen in Baking Bread with Children suggests that bread baking provides life lessons; work, alchemy, nurturing, waiting, kneading, watching, magic!
"Home is where the hearth is and few foods remind one of this more than fresh baked bread. Common wisdom says if you want to give guest a warm welcome, bake bread before they arrive."
"Let us sing with joy as we work Let us work with joy as we sing"
traditional Hebrew
Baby Pig-Dragon by C Moore age 10
We will share some other easy festive bread recipes in future as he seasons turn.
Now all we need to do is convince dad to build us a bread oven in the yard! Oh what a fun project that would be!
We have all finally started out sketch books for The Sketch Book Project! Yippee!
Homosapien by T Moore age 13
Maybe we should have saved this one for Halloween but it was this sketched this week, of course the children are already non stop about Halloween and I am all too happy to join in!
Patchwork but do you see the frogs legs? C Moore age 10
If you care to join the fun check out the Sketch Book Project button on our side bar. There are also more sketches at Sunday Sketches hosted by Sophia.. so click on over and check them out!
Renewal L Moore (c) 2010 - yes she has a story, but that is for another day..
Faeries, Sunday sketches and Mother's Day! Time to question my choices. Was it such a good idea to give up my regular 9-5 so I could be home to raise my heirs? So i could (maybe - i mean really, admit it, is this stuff actually in our control at all? - who do i think i am? overachiever that's for sure) creatively raise my children myself - the way i wanted; with calm (LOL) and reverence, respect, creativity and hard work.
A Gift to the World detail by C Moore age 10 (c) 2010 C says "yes, she is pregnant!"
So i could really guide them in cultivating their academic, artistic, physical and spiritual gifts? So i could take the time and do it right, be part of the process, nurture, support; actually hear my children, listen, be at the breakfast table with them, surround them with a beautiful environment. So when the time comes, my husband and i have successors deserving of our amassed fortune! So the world will be a better place.
A Gift to the World by C Moore age 10 (c) 2010
Ok, it hasn't been that simple, or that calm but our children are happy, hard working, amazingly bright, creative, talented (probably yours are too) and actually, the credit is all theirs - i have learned more from them than they from me - and the fun is all mine!
Acorn Fairy by T Moore age 12 (c) 2010
Yup, the right choice - absolutely!
Oooooh and look what i found in the art room from 5 years ago today, painted by our then 5 year old - its titled Happy Mother's Day but if should be called Joy!
"You'll never plow a field by turning it over in your mind!" .. isn't that the truth!
Draw a quick shamrock on paper and cut your two pieces of wool felt. Fill with a tuft of wool fleece and blanket or whip stitch, adding 2 or 3 glass beads every stitch. Don't forget to use a beading size needle and to split your embroidery floss down to 1 or 2 threads.
We made these wee amulets when the children were young and they still pull them out to wear every year. Loving stitches, memories, security, safety. Sitting around my girlfriends old, oak table; handwork circle, kids in tow, playing in the house around us. My daughter would watch and watch, week after week, with her intense blue eyes, brain clicking 'round - one day at the age of 6 she just picked up a needle and voila - she could sew!
"May you be in Heaven a half hour before the Devil knows you're dead!"
Love these Irish proverbs! Happy St. Patrick's Day All!
There is poetry filling up our house! Handwritten / typed on an ancient typewritter Santa once brought / lying 'round the floor of the playroom / on torn scraps in the art room / sent to me via e-mail!
Here are two of T's poems. He is 12 years old.
Rapture
The sweet honey and luscious chocolate are an elaborate dream from near a place where wind whispers to eternity and cool blue watery sea spray floods the sun and shadows the gorgeous summer sky
Indulgence
by T (c)2010
'spring garden II' by C (c)2008
Love
Love is a language of its own; easy to gain easy to lose. Sometimes we miss the most important & wonderful gifts of life - we fail to stop to see a gorgeous moment or listen to the singing poem of Love. It is magnificent to see through the dark shadows & soar through a dream full of Love.
by T (c)2010
This is wonderful! March Project 1 - Poetry - Complete!
If you have not followed this blog before these monthly planning pages lay out a general structure for the month, including a theme and seasonal table, a way to wake, a table candle blessing, a couple of projects and a verse for going to sleep. These are goals the follow up varies from great to imperfect but having the plan helps it to happen and helps bring rhythm to our days!
March Festival / Theme: Spring March, while we still try to ski and snowshoe and hang onto winter, it is Spring Break, in our family the beginning of preparation for the arts - our speaking, dance and piano competitions are all in the next few months!
Seasonal Table - Spring Whatever the children choose from our spring box - mermaids, flower fairies, garden gnomes! No the kids want to continue the red Canadian theme for ParOlympics, plus some tulips for spring!
Breakfast Verse Continuing with author June Cotner's book House Blessings as a resource.
"The kiss of the sun for pardon, The song of the birds for mirth - One is nearer God's heart in a garden. Than anywhere else on earth.." by Dorothy Frances Gurney (1858-1932). From House Blessings by June Cotner
Waking Song Kids are wanting to continue with he line from "Beautiful Day" by the Boo Radley's. They like to join in! Find it on itunes.
"Wake up its a beautiful morning, the sun is shining for your eyes.., Wake up its a beautiful morning.." Bedtime Verse The children have started this calling our thing in the manner of "the Waltons" though they have never seen or heard of that show. We call out "good night great mama", "good night great daddy""good night great T.." "good night great C.." Its fun, its their own, we're going to run with it!
March Project 1 Poetry The children are all over poetry at the moment so they are writing away. We will aim to submit some once i find a collaborate call for poetry submissions - it is never to early to practice this as long as children can handle being turned down!
March Project 2 Gratitude Book The Secret Gratitude Book, by Rhonda Byrne- I love this we are filling in a page a day in the morning! Next year C wants to make our own - great idea!
Nota lot of bread or soup happening at the moment! Disappeared since we went away! That happens, we'll get back to it :-) Great salmon bbq, tenderloin bbq and even pie, however! We hada fabulous Bakehouse pie and now that has triggered a renewed interest in pie making, well pie eating at least!
Its the little things in life, you brush up close to them and they are so beautiful! The details.
Living artfully. Here are my secret valentines. So simple, a paper napkin stuffed with a handful of warm fleece and lavender, briefly stitched on your sewing machine.
A wee note of endearment and you have a lovely Valentine! xoxo
So here are my daughter's Valentines this year! I still love letting the kids make cards them selves, however we have seen some lovely children's valentines this year (finally! the last few years stores been inundated with valentines that market movies etc, but where is the romance, the art, the beauty? Call me old fashioned. Call me traditional! Sometimes I think we seriously underestimate our children!)
At any rate we have seen some lovely glittery, sparkle artsy Valentines for children with fairies, cupcakes (rockets for the boys) and some lovely reprints of retro-tines by Golden (these at Shopper drug mart actually! There is hope for us yet!
If you have not followed this blog before these monthly planning pages lay out a general structure for the month, including a theme and seasonal table, a way to wake, a table candle blessing, a couple of projects and a verse for going to sleep. These are goals the follow up varies from great to imperfect but having the plan helps it to happen and helps bring rhythm to our days!
February Festival / Themes: Red! Olympics / Valentines / Chinese New Years OK February and Canadian Olympic Fever is in full swing! We hung a few flags on the house and stuck some in the window boxes! I have shirts, scarves and pennants ready for my Dad's momentous torch bearing run on the 11th and any Olympic community events we are attending. So it looks like February is red, red, red.. Olympics (red for Canada - Believe!), Valentines and Chinese New Year (Feb 14th with Valentines this year - year of the Tiger). A strong start to 2010!
Seasonal Table - Red We usually have a red February nature table full of cut out paper hearts, red roses and Chinese paper decorations from China town - this is a must see time of year for any China Town - decked out in red and gold paper decorations - fabulous in any city! 2010 sees the addition of some Canadian and Olympic flags to our table, maybe a few maple leaves - it all works together magically!
Breakfast Verse We are sticking to one verse a month to simplify; this since December actually. Found a great author June Cotner! She compiles books of poems, prayers, blessings, toasts in her many books - check her out, interdenominational, a great resource for this type of thing!
"May this house be filled with joy in the morning and sweet dreams at night. Blessings on our meal today." Welsh Blessing author unknown. From House Blessings by June Cotner
Love these simple napkin Valentines!
Waking Song This is a catchy tune from teh song "Beautiful Day" by teh Boo Radley's, 1980's I think. Find it on itunes.
"Wake up its a beautiful morning, the sun is shining for your eyes.., Wake up its a beautiful morning.."
So many souces! Explore pop songs from your teens,twenty's, and use wake up lines; Us, James Brown, you'll be surprised! Depending on the ages of your children, consider campfire songs, girlguide songs, nursery rhymes! There's lots out there! Bedtime Verse sung, and there are more verses I just do not remember. This is my son's choice, from their younger years.
"The evening is coming, the sun sinks to rest, the crows are all flying straight home to their nest Caw says the crow as he flies overhead, it time that we all were going to bed"
My son's Canadian Valentines!
February Project 1 Valentine Cards Time to pull out the Valentines ephemera, images, doilies, red, pink and white paper, ribbons and bows, ruffly scissors, glitter, beads etc. Put it all-out on the craft table and let the kids go to town. Simple handmade valentines are really appreciated by other families these days. Our children love making them! They usually cut small square of pretty card stock and fill it full of decorations. Our English tradition is to sing Love ? a fun game and makes it easy to do several! This has become a tradition in our neighbourhood now. Secret Valentines appear on our doors and in our mailbox, even by snail mail every year! All ages participating, kids and seniors who live on our street in particular! Here are my son's Canadian Valentines!
February Project 2 Going on a holiday - so probably no project 2!
If you have not followed this blog before these monthly planning pages lay out a general structure for the month, including a theme and seasonal table, a way to wake, a table candle blessing, a couple of projects and a verse for going to sleep. These are goals the follow up varies from great to imperfect but having the plan helps it to happen and helps bring rhythm to our days!
December! Our favorite month of the year! I am going to try to keep the month peaceful even if its busy.. time for home, time for family, time to prepare our hearts and rest our souls. Possibly say "no" to some invites. Maybe more guests here for cozy dinners and hot tubs?
Festival or Theme is Advent / Christmas The children spend time decorating the house and setting up our (several) nativities. We have a lovely fabric wall calender for advent and they usually get one of the beautiful European paper calenders too. As a family, over the years we have made pieces for a wooden nativity (very simple) and we set that up daily through Advent too.
Seasonal Table Our favorite wooden Nativity made by Jalu of the Sunshine Coast - lovely! Children set up and reorganize as they wish all month.
Breakfast Verse (all December while lighting advent wreath candles) Advent, advent, a child is born; Advent, Advent a child is born First one, then two, then three, then four and then the child is at the door Advent, Advent a child is born! Blessing on our meal today.
Waking Song We wish you a Merry Christmas, We wish you a Merry Christmas, We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy new year! (Children's choice)
Bedtime Verse Silent night, Holy night, all is calm, all is bright etc. My children love to use carols, these are simple, traditional, everybody knows them. They reflect rhythm, routine, security.
December Project 1 Advent Wreath If you haven't made one yet here is a simple method.
1. Use a floral wire ring from any florist. Either stuff it with moss or cut strips of floral foam. 2. The moss version is already very green so great for children, simply add garden greenery - clipped holly, evergreen, cones or even small Christmas balls or cinnamon stick bunches or nuts. Attach by wrapping the whole thing with thin floral wire. If using floral foam you will have to add lots of greenery. The easiest is clipped cedar. For either poke on four plastic candle holders and in the case of the moss, wire in. Ass candles (3 purple, 1 pink is traditional Christian, however 4 white or 4 red are also lovely). Light one additional candle each week of Advent at breakfast and dinner (week 1 light 1, week 2 light 2 etc).
Finish November Fundraiser This year the children raised an amazing three hundred and something dollars for education in both Ethiopia and West Vancouver! Many thanks to all who gave so generously! The children have announced winners and delivered the prizes ( a book by my son, a candle by my daughter) and donations to respective charities! Outstanding! At ages 9 and 12 the children handled most of this themselves this year!
December Project 2 Rosca de Reyes As in past years we baked Three Kings Bread for Epiphany (Jan 6 so I suppose it is a Jan project :-), a "rosca" ring to symbolize a crown. We do the Mexican version but their are all kinds of recipes from Latin countries and from Europe. Traditionally beans were hidden in the rosca, symbolizing baby Jesus. We use the more modern metal babies (found at a Catholic book store)wrapped in foil. Other years we have used clay babies (from an African import store) use your imagination. My children love to hide many babies not just one so this year we hid 6 babies and then delivered slices to many friends. In Mexico those who find babies make the tamales or host a party on Candlemas, however we just make our rosca with much love and no obligation!
Traditions / Ritual and Routine Christmas Advent reading most nights.
The "humbug" game all season (once my father gave a stern Victorian woman's face Christmas decoration as a Christmas gift - she looked very grouchy so she was named the humbug - we sneak he on to each others trees all Christmas - the idea being you do not want to end up with the humbug at seasons end!)
Some photos of the children's Christmas tags attached to bags of cookies they made for their teachers, and, for those who asked a Christmas reading list..
Advent Reading List
Christmas Stories Together by Estelle Bryer and Janni Nicol *I Love This!
The Christmas Story Book Collected by Ineke Verschuren
The Light in the Lantern by Georg Dreibig (can by accompanying Advent Calender)
The Emperor's Vision and other Christ Legends by Selma Lagerlof
Christmas Roses Legends for Advent Collected by Mimmi Zoitterman
Seasonal and Traditional Short Stories for Christmas Family Reading
The Way to the Stable A Christmas Story by Max Bolliger Illustrated by Arcadio Lobato *I Love This!
The Mitten by Jan Brett - A Ukranian Folktale
The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett
The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore illustrated by Ruth Sanderson - A Classic
Come and See by Monica Mayper Illustrated by Stacey Schuett *I Love This!
Little One, We Knew You'd Come by Sally Lloyd-Jones illustrated by Jackie Morris *I Love This!
The Christmas Rose illustrated by Heather Jarman
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas illustrated by Schart Hyman
The Nutcracker adapted by Daniel Walden from the story by E.T.A. Hoffman illustrated by Don Daily - A Classic
Chapter Books - Read Alouds for Christmas of course these books can be read silently by children and at any time of year but these are perfect at Christmas and make great family reads!
Bella at Midnight by Diane Stanley -*I Love this!
Any of the Narnia series by CS Lewis - particularily The Magician's Nephew and Lion Witch and the Wardrobe
I am so proud of myself! The kitchen is a mess - it will need to be cleaned before breakfast tomorrow morning - but i have squashed my control freak requirement to clean it NOW and taken the moment to join the children and my husband by the fire reading for half an hour before bed. Sometimes my organizing impulse is so strong - but I am glad I left it - these calm family moments are wonderful. They slow us (me) down, feed our souls. We will all probably live longer for them - if not longer, certainly better! After this quiet family moment I am refreshed and get more done, or I fall could asleep on the couch - which means go to bed - unlikely. didn't I say the kitchen's a disaster!
Our children are getting their Annual Christmas Fund Raiser (November Project 2) together! This year the prizes are the book "Screech",written by my son and published using Blurb.com and a Christmas candle made by my daughter. Prizes in past have been books they have written, and framed water colours they have painted, but prizes can be whatever inspires your children or family. Once you have done the fundraiser the first time, save all the work (we do up an e-mail and tickets on word) and the next year just change the dates, the prizes and the charity and it quickly comes together! My children sell tickets nominally at $1 so their friends can buy them. Advertising is to friends via e-mail with pictures of the prizes and a description of the charity they have chosen (see below). I think they really learn from the process and friends LOVE it! Here's a sample from this year's precious project.
T and C's Annual Christmas Fundraiser 2009 Thank you For Your Generosity - Draw Tickets only $1
"This year we are splitting the money raised between two charity groups. We wanted to raise money for building some children a school. The first charity is called "Imagine One Day" and builds schools in Ethiopia. But then we found out that the churches still have some money to pay for our own elementary school, St. Anthony's. So we are going to give half of the money we raise to Imagine One Day and half to St. Anthony's Parish for their School Building Fund.
Imagine One Day's website states that "education is a basic human right that leads to achieving other human rights and that an educated population forms the backbone of every society". It is a cool website, check it out!
As in past years , tickets are only $1 an there are two great prizes!
Prize: "Screech" Children's Adventure Story by T. Hard cover, autographed copy. Prize: "Archangel Gabriel Candle and Glass" Original Art Work by C, autographed."
November, the month of reprieve (?) between Halloween and Christmas, though look around you, Christmas is here - too early! I can't bear the malls yet! I try in the first half of the month to stick to fall. Remembrance Day, peace!
If you have not followed this blog before these monthly planning pages lay out a general structure for the month, including a theme and seasonal table, a way to wake, a table candle blessing, a couple of projects and a verse for going to sleep. These are goals the follow up varies from great to imperfect but having the plan helps it to happen and helps bring rhythm to our days!
So here is our November layout
Festival or Theme is Remembrance Day / Peace A focus on peace, honour, courage, remembering those who have passed on. We are using a red cloth on our theme table, photos of relatives who went to war, a red candle, red or pink roses I usually receive as a birthday gift (being a Remembrance Day baby), lapel poppies collected over the year and Grandad's medal of honour from the war and his pocket watch.
Waking Song(for November) chosen by my daughter from our collection
"Come little leaves said the wind one day, come over the meadows with me and play Put on your dresses of red and gold, summer is gone and the days grow cold!" ~by George Cooper~
Breakfast Verse (first half of November) (sung while lighting a candle at the breakfast table)
"Light a candle for peace, whisper the word, Please let it come soon, whisper a prayer for the world, Blessings on our meal today."
Breakfast Verse (second half of November) chosen by my son from our collection
"Earth we thank you for this food, for rest and home and all things good, For wind and rain and sun above, but most of all for those we love. Blessings on our meal today."
Bedtime Song From camp
"From out of the battered elm tree the owl cries out - I'm here And from the distant forest the cuckoo answers clear cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo da roo da roo, cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo da roo da roo. Mr. moon, Mr. moon you're out to soon, the sun is still in the sky Go back to your bed and cover up your head and wait 'till the day goes by cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo da roo da roo, cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo da roo da roo.
November Project 1Clay Nativity We have bought some air dry clay from Staples. Every year we have talked of making a Nativity for Christmas, but we have always left it too late. This year we will each make small figures every few days when we are able or choose to - all through the month of November. We will start with the important ones, Mary, Joseph, the Baby and see how many we end up with by the end of the month. Whatever we have is what we will go with. No pressure, no stress, just a relaxing, ongoing project. This clay air dries and then can be painted.
November Project 2 Children's Charity Raffle Each year my children make a "prize" for their charity raffle. 2 children, 2 prizes. This years prizes are a book by T and a candle by C (past years have been small paintings or drawings mostly). Tickets are $1 monies go to the charity of their choice.
Autumn Stories Family tradition. Short stories (fall theme) read occasionally by the fire. One day I will post a list of good seasonal stories - there are many wonderful books - check your library, bookstore! Bread, Soup and Scones OK the bread making and soup making fell apart mid October, but today is friday and I baked bread. My son's friend was over and he loved it, he had never had home baked bread. Makes it all worth while! Actually the realistic bread making goal was once a month so I am ahead of target there. At any rate the rhythm falls apart, we just pick it up as we can! Every day is a new day! Monday I make scones or muffins for lunches through the week (or until they run out - which is usually pretty quickly!)
One more week until our Felting Workshop (see previous post Oct 22) - I am excited! If you are interested we have 3 spaces left - for details and registration contact Lenora@Moore.nu
I managed to implement our September rhythm. Once chosen it is simple and repeated daily. I can only do this so quickly because I have been doing it for years and I have all my verses, decorations etc organized in folders, drawers and colorful flowered boxes. As I mentioned I have the cardboard suitcases for Autumn, Winter, Spring & Summer. They are filled with things I have made, or friends have made, or the children have made at home or school & that suit the season. Also decorative items that have been collected, winter fairies, bells, just stuff. It doesn’t take much, a seashell, an especially curly beach stick, a pine cone, a birds next. Go with your own style, your own ideas.
I keep a presentation book for each season for verses, poems, stories, drawings. I keep another with waking, bedtime and birthday verses. And I add anything written that speaks to me as I go. I try to include poems the children like or have written themselves at school. My sources are everywhere and though I initially hunted for things, once I had a beginning I just added literature (?) as it showed itself to me in my life. I was thrilled to find a stack of cue cards with poems and verses my mother had written for her days as primary school teacher, so I added those that I liked. I typed up singe verses from poems I have always loved from the classics. I also have a presentation book of projects but as said those for me seem vividly filed in my head. I have added verses from Remembrance day services at school or the newsletters teachers send home. From magazines that come to my door or quotes from books I am reading that I note are suitable! And in time I have built a collection, a resource and the key is that it is organized for quick reference because mom’s (or dad’s) do not start off with time to spend two weeks arranging for next months family rituals.
So on the first day of September as I have said, I put together a simple seasonal table on our corner cabinet and it was there in time fro breakfast. The children noted the display with enthusiasm and will add to it and change it themselves over the month. When we sat together for our breakfast of pancakes and fruit on the deck, I made a point of moving the wee bottle of flowers from the seasonal table to the breakfast table and I brought the words to the verse and song. We spoke and sang those together and then ate. It doesn’t matter that we don’t know the words by heart and it is nice just to participate in this together. I made a point of sitting to eat breakfast with the children which I love but find hard to do when there are so many other things calling me to do them round the house and what an opportunity to get things done when the children are involved and eating – but I try to ignore these nagging things because it is settling and nurturing for me to eat with my children and to enjoy that time. Something I have had to force myself to sit whether I have food for myself or not. These are the moments we will miss when our children are gone and these are the moments they will remember when they are grown and I will remember when it comes time for me to leave. I often have to remind myself that this is why I am an at home mom, that this stuff is more important than all those tasks that need doing, that life is too short, and still I don’t always sit, but the more I choose too, the more I do so. I believe that this is one of the gifts of motherhood and that this is a valuable use of my time, but at times I have had to force myself to believe that as the chores build up and no pay cheque comes in. I know now in hindsight that part of our children’s flourishing stems from these simple times. It is also a fabulous way to have a moment to talk freely and nurture the lines for communication.
I am a mother, artist and writer. I hope to spend my days adding beauty to the world, raising my heirs well and pampering my husband but it doesn't always work out that way! I rejoice in my family and friends, art, writing, reading, running, hiking, eating, and entertaining.
Here, I am tracking the rhythm and routine of a year in our home and publishing various projects, art and fiction. Welcome to my world!
Infinity Dragon by T Moore age 13
Baby Pig-Dragon by C Moore age 10
