{this moment} City Art Studio

{this moment} - A single photo capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Visit SouleMama for more "moments" and to share your own...

Learning From Neighbors

Over the weekend, we spent some time with our neighborhood florist, watching him create holiday wreaths and arrange flower bouquets. As frequent visitors, we have gotten to know our florist well and appreciate the time and attention he offers the children.  

My six-year-old was particularly fascinated by the wreath-making, and the florist gave her a bag of left-over flower scraps and floral ribbon to work with at home. Using the techniques she learned at the flower store, she spent much of the weekend creating floral wreaths and incorporating the floral materials into her crafting. Her most prized wreath she gave to the florist as a thank you for teaching her.

City homeschooling involves so many teachers: teachers who, like our neighborhood florist, are experts in their skill or craft and are eager to share their knowledge with interested young neighbors. These neighborhood "teachers" are woven into our days and weeks as we go about our life-learning.  We did not visit the flower shop and make wreaths as part of some set curriculum; we visited because we make frequent stops there, and lingered because we were curious about the wreath-making the florist was engaged in.  

This kind of natural, holistic, child-led learning that integrates the vast resources of our community is why I am so drawn to homeschooling. Learning is a constant, seamless part of our week, led by the children's natural curiosities, incorporating our neighbors' many talents, and tapping into the resources of our city's endless classroom.

What about you? How do your neighbors and community resources enhance your children's learning? 

City Holiday Kick-Off

With a week of thanksgiving culminating in our city's annual holiday tree lighting concert, the cool, merry days are officially upon us.  Wishing you a bright start to the holiday season!

A Vermont Retreat

Over the past year, we have been trying to reconcile our passion for the city--its dynamism and abundant resources—with our adoration of the quiet countryside—its forests, farms, and fields. We wondered if we could have a small slice of both. We wanted to retain the ease, efficiency, and sense of community inherent in compact urban living, while also enjoying a patch of grass and woods in the country.

We recently purchased a little home up north of us in Vermont, and the past several weeks have been busy with all that goes along with a new sale. It is a place where we can connect intimately with nature and enjoy miles of conservation land, a place where the kids can roam freely and explore the natural world in a direct and personal way, a place where we can become more deeply in tune with New England's dramatic seasonal changes and the opportunities each provides. Unhindered by school schedules and related commitments, we plan on splitting our time between city and country throughout the year, savoring the opposite gifts that both places provide.

In addition to the many opportunities for four seasons of fun that the Vermont retreat offers, the town is also located in an area with an active and vibrant homeschooling community, taking advantage of many nearby cultural, educational, and natural resources. We have connected with the local homeschooling network and look forward to nurturing friendships with a whole new group of homeschooling families.

We are so excited about this new adventure, our opportunity to be both city mouse and country mouse, to be at home in both spots, and to share the scenes of each in this space.

{this moment} Halloween Heights

{this moment} - A single photo capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Visit SouleMama for more "moments" and to share your own...