Our September has been both a mix of slowing down and wrapping up. We have found a rhythm in our school days, but we have also had full schedules and obligations. In a lot of ways, this last month has been a really challenging one, both for our family and for me personally. We have found moments of joy, have worked through our challenges, and are looking forward to this fall and winter.
We had a little spell of cold that actually felt like fall. We took full advantage of it by baking warm, cinnamon treats and bundling up with a blanket around the fire. Then of course, it got back into the 80s/90s and we had to pretend making warm chicken pot pie while we sweat in the kitchen was appropriate :)
Most days, we try to do our dedicated learning time in the morning. And it's even better when we can take it outside! Lately, we have been learning about Impressionists like Renoir, how to use a compass, the story elements of Peter Pan, various poems and scripture to memorize, the importance of farms, all about acrostic poems, different bird types, and of course how to read and write :)
(he was really excited when he realized all on his own that there are multiple ways to get to 10)
We have traveled to fun, new places with our co-op this month! For one of our co-op adventures we visited Weldon Springs State Park where we met with a conservation educator who shared about fossils with us. The kids created their own fossils, while learning about the 4 different types, as well as, did some hands-on learning. Then we spent the rest of the day playing outside, learning about the history of Weldon Springs, and touching really cool taxidermied animals.
The next week we took a trip down to Clinton where we visited Mariah's Mums. We got a tour of the farm and learned about their unique way of growing strawberries. We even got to pick some, as their season goes from May to October! The kids had a lot of fun playing. Our group loves to spend time on farms, which I guess is a good thing since we live in central Illinois where farming is abundant :)
Afterwards, we got to visit Amma (Michael's grandma) with Nana and Pop Pop, who lives right down the road.
That same week, we had an extra event on the weekend out at Comlara Park. We signed up for different sessions with the Illinois Master Naturalists to learn about nature, explore the outdoors, and be with friends. We went fishing, where Ewan didn't even know he caught a fish. He was bored so he reeled his line in only to find a fish attached! We also got to witness electrofishing, which is where they shock the water so the fish go belly up for a few minutes in order to study and survey the fish population and ecology of the water. It was a really fun day where even the dads got to join us for this one! AND Isla and I made it into the newspaper with an interview and pictures about the whole day (posted below).
The day ended with a torrential downpour, which probably became a core memory for the kids. They had so much fun playing with their friends in the rain. We continued the party at our friend's house down the road where we had dinner with them over the fire. It was a great day :)
The last co-op day for September was a book club celebration! We have all been reading Peter Pan in our own homeschools and came together to bring the book to life. A couple of the moms worked so hard to make it a magical day. We made pirate catapults, did some comprehension questions/games, made Peter Pan and pirate hats, enjoyed acorn treats and pirate's booty for snack, and acted out scenes from the book. It was such a magical day for everyone!
Besides co-op, we have also had other learning opportunities sprinkled in. Isla and Ewan attended a class all about magnets at the Children's Museum, while Eleanor and I played with friends. And we have also visited the library often. Isla is starting to realize she actually can read books! So she has been finding all sorts of things to read lately.
To wrap up September and celebrate our Isla girl turning 7 (in 20 days), we had a family day at Wildlife Prairie Park. We always try to do something fun for the kid's birthdays, but we needed to go now before the train closed down for the season. Isla was extremely understanding, but did wonder if she could get her presents early too :) Wildlife Prairie Park is an 1,800 acre zoological park where you can witness bison, elk, wolves, and other native animals. There was also a pioneer area, playgrounds, trainrides, hiking, and tons of areas to explore! We had a really fun day.
Like I mentioned, we have had some challenging moments this month too. I had some really difficult issues come up as the "unelected leader" of the co-op that needed to be handled. My heart has always been to lead the group so that it thrives and is at it's best; and that sometimes means having tough conversations or facilitating difficult situations. We still have some unresolved issues we are working through and it has been a heavy burden on me this month. But, overall it is such a supportive and kind group of women and I'm grateful to do life with them.
Another issue has been the sleep disturbances and resulting symptoms for Ewan and our family. We found out with some bloodwork that he is severely iron deficient and have been in the process of getting him an iron infusion to help. In the meantime, he's been put on a supplement and we are working on areas in his diet that we can improve. We are holding off on tonsil and adenoid surgery to see whether his sleep issues are due to a deficiency or truly a structural problem. He is currently sleeping in our bed and wakes anywhere from 2-10 times a night, sometimes with screaming episodes that last up to an hour, sometimes not. He has even started hallucinating and experiencing night terrors due to his severe sleep loss. We are working on the symptoms of chronic sleep deprivation, too, but we really need to get to the root of it all first. Please continue to keep his little brain and body in your prayers. We are finding most days hard to even function since we too are dealing with sleep deprivation at this point. Lately we get just a few hours of sleep a night, sometimes only 1 or 2 depending on the night. If you see me crying, just know it's probably due to exhaustion and not something you've said. Most of my co-op has seen me break down in tears just by talking about it. This is a season and it will pass, but boy it's sure hard right now.
(icecream after a blood draw is always a good idea)
Another life update, but a fun one, is that Isla lost her first tooth! We discovered that she had a "shark tooth" where the grownup tooth was growing in behind her baby tooth even though it wasn't wiggly. I'm pretty sure she then started to force it to be wiggly because within a week it popped out. She was playing tug-o-war with her mouth and when her friend pulled the rope, the baby tooth went flying! She didn't even realize she lost it until he pointed it out and of course then, we couldn't find it. Good thing I'm not one of those moms that keeps baby teeth I guess :)
(can you see the big tooth behind the baby one?)
I've learned that when stuff feels big and hard, finding moments of joy is how you march on. So here's the rest of those "every day moments" that I truly find joy in :)
I don't usually wish time away, but I for one am happy to see September end. Here's to hoping October brings new starts, cooler weather, more adventures, peace, and SLEEP!
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