The blessing of adaptation

Since we got back from our big roadtrip, I spend my days mostly at home, helping little girls with their awesome projects or practice their instruments, cooking fall food, sewing, knitting, felting, all the while wondering what is around the corner for us... What if they all want to stay? Are we going to be able to travel again? I feel stretched... and blessed... and once again questioning what is our mission on this earth. Is it to simply provide our girls with the experiences they seem to be needing at every stage of their growth? What about me? Can I be happy while wearing the traveler AND the stay-at-home mom hat at the same time or do I feel like I need to pick one and run with it? Maybe I can just hang the traveler's hat for a while and put the apron back on!

But I feel a bit done with that part of me. My girls are looking forward to our old Fall and Winter celebrations (from our Waldorf days). In all honesty, I don't. I thought it was all behind us. Great memories from their early childhood days. But I can bring that alive again for them and find delight in it simply because I love to see their eyes twinkle. However, I also know they were twinkling on top of a mountain in Glacier NP or at the bottom of a canyon in Utah...

I feel like I should be changing my blog tagline to : an unschooler who is using a Waldorf curriculum, a vegan that just had fish for dinner while wondering if traveling as a way of life is really what suits her family best...!


I know that in our society (and especially in some of my circles...), that kind of back-and-forth (I like to call it flexibility and adaptation...) is not always valued and well perceived. It looks much better if you stick to your guns even if something tells you it would be time to reassess your choices. 

:: Igloo water color ::

:: By sprinkling table salt when the painting is still wet, we create an impression of snow. ::

:: We are exploring fibers right now ::

:: We made a birthday fairy for a dear friend ::

:: Sunday morning family run/hike in the beautiful National Park in our backyard ::

:: Looking at the beaver's hut and talking with the naturalist about frogs, lizards and snakes ::

:: In our homeschooling group, we talked about the pioneers who came to North America. Here the children are role playing the people rowing on their boat across the Atlantic Ocean ::

:: Role playing the Native Americans preparing their camp and fire ::

:: In the afternoon, we explored the wisdom and spirituality of the Native Americans.  The children got to experience a smudge and some beautiful singing. ::

:: Even the little ones got to participate! ::

:: They then made a medicine pouch, made some bead ornaments for a talking stick and drew their totem animal ::

Since we came back (and even a couple of months prior), our girls clearly indicated to us that they needed more structure in their days and weeks (it could be because this is what they were used to as younger children or simply a temperament thing). When we moved back home, I resisted creating a schedule. It was summer and who wanted to have a schedule anyways. Not me! But even with the vast amount of projects I brought forwards, the new board games and library cards, something was off (of course, the "re-entry" as it's called in traveler's lingo was hard on all of us... ). Mathilde kept asking to "do school" and I thought that all the artsy projects and games I was offering "should" have been enough...

A bit reluctantly, I picked up the second grade curriculum we never finished two years ago and started using it, doing more formal school periods during the week as per the girls requests. They loved it. They were disappointed when we were not having a lesson in the morning... I was flabbergasted! I kept thinking it was the newness of it, but so far, they are truly loving it (and needing this very strong rythm or so it seems). Maybe it is simply a transition thing, maybe it is just what they need right now.

I am trying to go with it. One day at a time. Realizing even more everyday how impossible it is to draw a line and follow it forever. It is easy to feel like we have failed where we truly only adjusted instead of going against what seemed obvious. I am still an unschooler at heart, as for me it means partnering with my girls to listen to what they feel is best for them at every given moment. When I remember that, the internal conflict dies down and I feel peace and harmony filling my soul and heart. Because in the end, this is all that matters. Peace, harmony, love and joy, not the labels we think describe us best.