Flowers, acorns, fungi and dreams

Having woken to gale force winds and torrential rain, I didn't have huge hopes for fun excursions today. Add to that car issues and email troubles and I might as well have not bothered changing out of my nightie.

Did you know that if you spill a cup of coffee on your dashboard, in some makes of car it can make it's way into a fuse box, and cause all of the electrical functions in your car to take on a life of their own? No, neither did I. I do now though. What I need to know is who spilt the coffee. Answers on a postcard please. I didn't spill any and the children don't drink coffee. Should be a no brainer but some folks just won't put their hands up.

The other day Miles and I made this beautiful herb sachet. I had intended to hang it inside of the linen cupboard in the hope it would fragrance the bedding with restful aromas, but I decided we all needed to feel chilling vibes day to day, so hung it on the outside instead!



Here's what we put in; lemon balm, lavender and chamomile heads.




Today saw us (predominantly Miles and I) embark upon a program of Steiner style life enrichment with Little Acorn Learning. I must admit to having just 'jumped in' today without really pre reading or planning. Yet, we still enjoyed what we did very much. I look forward to being better prepared in future, but also relieved to have learned that when needs must, it is something you can just 'jump in' there and then.

I would like it so much if Hermione were willing to embrace more Steiner crafts and ways. I like it and it has always puzzled me why, my down to earth, outdoorsy, story loving, crafty girl, is so entirely anti Steiner. I think perhaps her first Steiner experiences were not the positive experience I would have liked them to have been, and that has maybe stayed with her? I don't know; all I do know is that she came over to me when I was looking through the materials this evening and said in all seriousness, but with a very cheeky grin on her face, 'Stand back from the acorns Mama. Stand back. Too many acorns and gnomes make you scary!'

Over the years it's never really bothered me that Hermione is openly anti Steiner, whereas Miles really embraces it. Horses for courses and all that, each to their own. After all, we don't do Steiner in a big way; her disdain shouldn't be a big deal for me. We don't follow Steiner principles as regards academia in any way whatsoever. For us it just provides some pattern and rhythm to the way we tend to live anyway - outdoorsy, crafting, storytelling, season watching type of people. Why does Hermione strongly resist something which in many respects is just a name for many of the things we do anyway? Perhaps she would rather not take what we do and try to fit it into an 'ideology' or 'philosophy' box? That would make sense as really that's only right - it's important to find a box that fits your shape as opposed to squeezing into a different shaped box.

I guess I'm just going to have to chill and accept that she does now goes online, has a mobile phone, texts friends, goes on sleepovers etc. and whats more, no amount of watercolors or felt gnomes will make my growing girl stay young, and nor would I want her to. I just desperately don't want her to become consumed by a fast paced society and throw away her earthiness (if such word exists!)

While Nana and Hermione set to work rustling up a pan of soup and some apple crumble, Miles and I played Fungi Top Trumps. Well, blow me, I was quite surprised at the entertainment value of a pile of mushroom cards!

After playing the game we laid them all out and then separated them into categories; poisonous, just a bit poisonous and not at all poisonous. I agreed to take pictures of his favorites from each category to share with the world.



This was his favorite 'poisonous' one. What's not to love about those fairy tale toadstools? Oh now I know - they're toxic!



This was his favorite 'just a bit poisonous' one.



This was my all round favorite - partly because of it's name and partly because I spot this growing in various places where we regularly meet with friends; I'll now be able to bore them with tales of how I know what this fungi is called!



Favorite 'not at all poisonous' one.



Just in case anyone is wondering, I got the cards from the BBC Nature Detectives Club. They're very flimsy. I must hunt out my laminator before Miles decides to take them out and about to play with friends.

I'm pleased to say that last night saw me have a good night's sleep. I think in part that was because I had finished my walk on The Progress and was no longer guessing what may happen next. The downside is I've just downloaded the next in the series onto my kindle and will have to make sure I don't get too drawn into it tonight!

Come what may with my bed time reading, I still think I'll sleep more soundly tonight. I think the beginning of the new academic term has been weighing very heavily on my mind. I've been having performance anxiety! Well, what can I say? It's only day one! However, it's been a good day with both of the children happily settling down to doing a fair chunk of academic stuff. It makes a change to start on a high and not have to be cajoling everyone out of holiday mode - and for that I'm very thankful!

Sleep well m'dears.