Has staying home been bumming you out? Bored of the same old four walls that surround you? Feeling boxed in?
Man, I get it. I have been hearing people around me say that they have got nothing to do, everything is the same and lack the will and inspiration to find a hobby or even learn about something new.
That can not be more contrary for this family. Having 3 children, 9 and under, all home at once has been eventful. Sure we have had our ups and downs, figuring out a routine that will work for all the ages separate and together, what works for homeschooling, what works to keep that negativity at bay. Definitely have to become creative if you are not already. But thankfully I am. Seriously, thankfully.
I am pretty flexible when it comes to homeschooling. We are given work from the teachers and I set out what they have to do daily but I add to that learning experience so that it is not just sitting at the table with a screen and paper and pencil. I have been teaching my kids math, science, physics, reading and writing (french), even teaching my son in theory application (is that how it's said in English?) and it has been so much fun.
With my son, Aaden, we have so far build a turbo racer using an elastic and propeller to make the racer move, we have built a marshmallow launcher - in other words a catapult, and a rock truck, he big ones that you see in the mines. All made of wood except for the nails and screws and wheels. They are kits that come in once a month, a gift he got from me for his birthday in March, one that keeps on giving.
With my daughter, Emma, we have found that she likes to write stories so we work on that, creating stories with pictures that she draws to go with it. She has also showed interest in learning botanical medicines. There is a very cool project that we will be doing soon with that but will have to read about it in another post in the near future.
And with my little one, Frankie, we have been working on her letters, numbers, story time, creativity and all that fun stuff, but she has shown most interest with music. We have been singing and drumming to our indigenous songs night and day and her most favorite is Nibiwabo (water song) and Wendeyaho (morning song). Although she's been loving all the songs we sing, those are the ones she sings the strongest and puts herself most into it. I hope to be able to capture when she gets into it, it is quite something to see, so cute. She has also been enjoying indigenous, cultural books and one she has been most curious about with the most questions asked is the story that talks about how the First Nations have lost their words. In is written in a way for children to understand how things happened during the days where their parents/grandparents were put into residential schools forced to talk in a language they did not know, being severely punished for talking in their Native tongue. It is a beautiful story of how a young girl going to school has learned that part of history and has helped her grandfather find is words again.
With all this time being so busy with the kids where is there time for me?
Just like right now, the kids are playing outside in the backyard and I am sitting in my sun room where I can see them play safely. We don't have close neighbors so free play time is easily done. Usually it is a time where I can smudge in a way that I need to by myself, I smudge the kids as well but when I can do it alone I take the chance as I do need to heal from so much. I then drum either inside the sun room or on the gallery outside.
In the evening, after supper, the kids get to have a movie and relax before bed and this is the time when I practice violin. Once a week I do an online lesson for 45 min and it gives me exercises to practice for the rest of the week. I have had 6 lessons so far and I can tell you, just in those 6, there is so much to learn. If I would have just gone on youtube to learn a few things on there, I would be nowhere near where I am now. It took 2 years to find my teacher and it is well worth the wait! We have to learn how to hold the violin, hand placement on the violin, how to hold the bow, the way to stroke the bow on the strings, learning to read the notes, the long and short strokes of the bow, learning rhythm and pitch, the tempo, how much pressure to apply on the strings and don't forget, don't bend your left wrist!! Doesn't sound like much but its a physical training as well as it is your mind.
I have also started painting again, although I do lack ideas of what to paint, so I do surf online, sometimes youtube to get back into it. It has been quite a few years since I took the time to paint. Here is something I painted a couple weeks ago from a youtuber's video. I like what she created and wanted to see if I could create something similar as her. Truth be told the style she paints in is something I really like and want to indulge in.
This is something I do when the kids are in bed. In no way can I do this with the kids. I mean yes I take the paints out for the kids every now and then but it is not the same to be able to take the time and just peacefully paint, blocking out the world around me.
Also I have been crocheting Frankie a little skirt but I kind of just put it down for some time. A post for another time.
So, yes we have been busy, there has been plenty of things to do and there is still plenty more that can be done and needs to be done. One day at a time, it's all we can do _
