Another evening of anticipation, laughter and fun.

A social walk in the cool, crisp October air.

Running into friends and oohh-ing and aahh-ing over their costumes.

Excitement over a favorite treat.

Whining over a heavier than her bag.

Attempting to assure the babe that she can eat some candy when we get home.

A return home to dump their loot and see what treasures it contains.

Races to the door when the doorbell rings.

Exclamations and reactions to the characters that they find.

Extra good teeth brushing before bed.

The smell of candles blown out inside of grinning jack-o-lanterns.

C'est l'Halloween!

Once again we hit the trail today.

This time with bikes.

And one with just TWO wheels!

This made for a really fast paced walk and lots of blurry pictures.

But Piper was just so proud of her latest accomplishment!

It was sweet to see!

Her grandfather, who taught her this latest skill, recently took of video of her riding her training wheel-less bike.

The whole time she kept yelling, "I'm doing it!!"

Oh, I remember that joy of first time freedom on wheels!

It is exhilarating!

Last month was so very busy.

It is so nice to slow down and take time to enjoy this beautiful season.

Today was one of those days that left me feeling so content.

The girls and I went for a long walk after school.

It was so peaceful and perfect.

And exactly what we needed.

 O hushed October morning mild, 

It's Friday!

And I have a whole week of favorites to share with you!

(I think this is how it's probably going to happen on the blog this year since I'm finding it harder to find time for individual posts for everything! So if you see something you want to know more about, please - ask away!)

Our days were very full but we got so much accomplished!

One day was rather difficult.

A certain little girl just didn't want to do her lessons and it kind of threw me into a panic that I had chosen all the wrong curriculum or something!

Alas, it was simply a bad day.

My girl went on to conquer a story she had been working on, finally grasped a math concept she'd found difficult and printed the alphabet and numbers 1- 10 like a pro!

In the end, these words from my friend Heather's blog greatly encouraged me and helped me to focus on what we are aiming for: 

 "I don't want learning to be fun. I want it to be interesting and satisfying, and at times it will be exhausting, but completing difficult work is rewarding and it stretches our minds in good ways. A well written narration, a carefully drawn map, a successful Latin translation, a verse or poem recalled from memory, all of these take effort but give so much satisfaction when completed."

I have so much to learn myself when it comes to this whole homeschooling gig!

But I can honestly say that despite the struggles and difficult days, teaching my kids is so rewarding and such a blessing!

Here is a peek at the week gone by:

This is my very favorite picture from our nature walk!

Taitum yelled, "Mom, look what I found! Can I bring it home?!"

Pure excitement over a stick!

Our findings in a jam jar!

Golden rod and cow vetch really brighten up the kitchen!

 We finished our week with our co-op group at a trail that encircles a beaver pond.

(We've been there before and love it! Worth checking out if you're in the area!)

 The guide led the group in some games to learn about the wetlands and the importance of each element found there.

Last Friday, the girls and I set out on a new adventure.
We were invited to join a homeschool co-op this year and we eagerly accepted!
I am so excited to be a part of a community of fellow homeschoolers and for my daughters to have an opportunity to build relationships with children who are being raised in much the same way as they are.

As we travelled into the country to meet at a dairy farm, I think we all experienced those 'first day of school' feelings.
My girls, who are not the least bit accustomed to having to leave the house by a certain time in the morning, were somewhat grouchy and slow moving.
I think they really didn't know what to expect or what this was all about.
But the sun was shining, I had a coffee in hand and beautiful scenery before me.
And so, we plunged on to our newest adventure!

Our day included meeting lots of new, friendly faces, a run to warm us all up and get the blood flowing and a tour of the farm by the gracious owners!

We got to pet some cute, little calves.
One of the girls who was part of the group has a cow at home and was quite comfortable with them.
She let one of the calves suck on her fingers which my kids thought was hilarious!

Although last week went smashingly, we did not get a chance to go for a nature walk.

The kids play outside constantly but it is nice to set out together with the goal of "finding something interesting" (as Piper would say!).

Today, the weather was lovely so we nabbed the opportunity!

We're following the Handbook of Nature Study Getting Started Challenges and the very first one states: 

Charlotte Mason knew what she was talking about when it came to nature study. Somehow in our modern life we have forgotten the simple pleasures of outdoor time. For this challenge, just go for a walk. Don't worry about taking any tools or supplies with you. Enjoy the outdoors and your children and then spend some time talking about your experiences together.

So simple!

Too often I make such things more complicated and stressful than they need to be!

We set out for a nice afternoon walk down our street and then down another that leads to an open space where there are lots for sale.

Nothing too crazy or difficult but the girls made some great discoveries and had a fantastic time!

We found caterpillars.

We have our first week of school under our belt and we survived it!

It wasn't picture perfect - there were meltdowns and accidents and frustrations - but it was good.

For that I am grateful!

One of these days I'll attempt to capture some pictures of the challenges in our days but usually I'm so busy averting a crisis or kissing a boo boo or calming a meltdown that grabbing a camera is the last thing on my list!

For now, here are some of my favorite moments of the week!

Little sister curiously watches math lesson proceedings.