going forward...

tool, Patuxet Village, Plimouth Plantation

It's time to head forward to school.  Yes, school.  Sure we could go back, since we were there,  March-through-June.  Going "back to school" is exciting, an adventure into the daily faces of friends & beloved teachers, a chance to tackle new & interesting material.  That happens, & would be the case for us.  

As life-learners, we are looking at this Fall as a totally new experience, & it is.  We've never done something like this, walked into a class of kids a bit older, but still all about the same age with the same general developmental needs.  It's interesting!  And I think each Fall will be new, with new faces on the same people, new interests, new capacities.  Let us always go forward, why don't we.

Are we still homeschoolers?  Yeah, we are.  We call it the "long class" each morning.  We still belong to our local homeschooling bookclub, though it takes place during "school hours."  We will faithfully continue our "family curriculum" of cooking, marketing, growing, making, finding, drawing, tasting, discovering, dancing, assembling, dismantling, field-tripping, music-making & whatever else falls our way. 

And the Waldorf curriculum is one of those things.  I had always intended on homeschooling the boys when they were older.  When our oldest was one,  I found our local Waldorf school during a year-long Early Childhood Training at Rudolf Steiner College.  We fell in love with it & with the Early Childhood teacher.  Not so much with the kindergarten & now we have found a great 3rd-grade community.  The teacher also has three boys, is a farmer & a nurse, & she homebirthed & homeschooled, as well.  So we have much in common, & she's an elder I can learn from.  And learning is the commitment for us.  That, & surrounding our children with people who have diverse values - but values that support life.

 leather "lacrosse" for catching on sticks

There's been issues, nothing to go back about.  Like hyper-competitive parents.  Bullying.  Kids thinking they can only play with one age, or only one gender.  But these are not issues in the grand scheme of things.  I'm so grateful that every moment is a chance to move forward towards more connections.

 
 beautiful 

 "score!"

 

*****

Speaking of making connections...

This village, Patuxet, is one of the first Native villages where no one made it, due to diseases introduced by colonists.  I have so many questions I want to ask some of the folks I saw there, but they are  personal ones, & we are advised not to ask those.  But coming from a colonized culture myself, & a community of community servants, I'm so curious: "Do you consider yourself an activist?" "Does being here during the day shift how you live at home?"  "How do you feel about the colonists given that you work in partnership with the recreated colonial village?"

But we aren't to ask questions like, "What percentage Native are you?"  I understand that.  Although people ask me that kind of question at least once a month.

We can't go backwards, & a part of me wants to.  Everything there is a great reminder of the possibility- the past, present & future great possibility of letting our product - what we make - be the wellbeing of our communities.  Imagine.  More chances to forward connections.

(The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight has wonderful ideas on how to integrate the past & the present in a way that supports our global home & community.)

Moving on...

 

 longhouse

 dolls, canoe, games

 burned-out canoe, paddles, fish-drying station

 grinding maize

 an elder messing with the kids & showing off her bear

 inside a longhouse

women-made mats as walls

Comments

[patricia]

So is it just your oldest going to the Waldorf school? Or all three of them? Whatever it is, I'm glad that you've found a solution that makes you all happy. That's what matters.

Your photos of the Patuxet village are just beautiful. Now I know that I need to visit there someday.

I love your haircut, mama! It looks adorable on you.

[maya]

thanks for your always-support, tricia. just my oldest. i don't know that we'll be starting his brothers there, at least not for quite some time. yes, it's an amazing revelation, even if a lot of it is rather obvious. the boys cut my hair- we all had a tick scare when one of them was exhausted & we discovered that the cape is the limes capital of the world. scary. i'll let them know you like it! how about we were singing to pat benatar, but it was maroon 5! so we going to see her in concert!! friday, the 5 of us. the boys were playing monopoly last night & saying, "we belong..." over & over again. kinda crazy making, but they couldn't believe their ears once d put her on. worth it.