Having a rhythm to carry our weeks is the glue that keeps us together. We’re not strict about it, though we do try to follow along with it as much as possible. If it’s baking day and I find the kids completely engaged in playing house, I leave them to it. Play is the work of childhood, after all. We also usually have project time carved out in the afternoon on Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays, yet this was a busy week and we all needed some down time to just be. And to cuddle on the couch, of course (see photo of two brothers who were found cuddled in a blanket)…
A few things we were up to this week:
:: Monday | Baking Day – We made a really tasty grain free bread, using this recipe.
:: Tuesday | Craft/Art Day – Our hands got a great exfoliation making felted balls for a valentine’s day craft – we actually had this craft out for most of the week, as it’s one that is good to do for a while and then come back to.
:: Wednesday | Woodworking – The morning was spent playing, cuddling on the couch, and making something wonderful with milk (part of a project you’ll see here soon). Then the afternoon is spent with Mike on Wednesdays – they are currently working on some self-designed bird feeders.
:: Thursday | Swimming – So, so much fun to go to swimming lessons when there are friends in the kids’ classes. Each of them has a friend or more in their class, which means I have a few there myself. To add to the fun, we enjoy lunch and a library visit with friends after swimming. There is a library in the same building as the pool, which is brilliant. The kids had a blast. Cohen and Breann each went to the desk to ask a question, and they carried our stacks of books to the front, along with my library card, and checked everything out for us. I think that’s why the librarian didn’t mention our late fines. Ahem. Often on Thursdays, the kids get dropped off at their grandparents’ place – a great little break for us all, and they have so much fun there reading, crafting, baking, watching shows (we don’t own a television), and sometimes going to the library, the park, or on other exciting adventures.
:: Friday | Herb Fairies – This week we met Cerulea, the Elder fairy. The kids are always excited to colour a new fairy page and learn about the fairy and his or her plant through the story that goes along with it. I usually read it aloud and we look at the illustrations together, but yesterday we listened to the audio story instead, while sipping elderflower, rose hip, and mint tea. After the story, the kids were super engaged in playing house. Cohen owned the puzzle-shop and was a wonderful puzzle-maker. Milo, a little boy, wanted a puzzle and so his mother, Breann, ordered one for him. She ran a restaurant where they sold all kinds of scrumptious foods, including calendula spray and calendula syrup. The puzzle-maker ate at the restaurant on his lunch hour. I had a great time sipping my own tea and flipping through the recipe book that I won (first time winning an online giveaway!) through Vintage Remedies, and listening to the kids’ story-line develop.
After the kids were satisfied with their play time, we also made some lovely Valentine’s Day gifts for our backyard birds! See the photos and instructions for making coconut oil or suet bird feeders here.
*For those who would want to know, the play kitchen we have is this one from Hape/Educo – we’ve had it for about five years now and it gets played with at least three days a week by our three youngest – ages 4, 7, and 10. It has become a cherished part of our home. Watch for a sale – ours was about $129 CDN.
Please note that we are a part of the Amazon associates program. If you visit Amazon.ca through a link on Tiny Peasant and make a purchase, our family will receive a small percentage of the sale. The products that I specifically recommend in blog posts are products that we love in our home – if they aren’t they are on my wish list and I will note that. Our bookshop (coming soon) has a mixture of tried and true, and wish list items. If you ever have any questions about a product we link to, please don’t hesitate to ask! Thank you for your support!