so much to be thankful for...

A couple more weeks of photos from our unschooling lives:

This painting started transforming from some really ugly wild layers when Ayla told me, "It looks great, Mama. It just needs lots and lots of coca-dots." Thanks, babe.

my favorite new creative outlet, acrylic on canvas, almost finished

before
(midway through, right after the coca-dots)

"Mama, can we touch it?"

wooden block pattern play

watching the snow fall

"Mama, I'm a princess elf pegasus. Do you wanna take a picture?"

sleepover make-up play

glow in the dark paper art, for an older sister and her sleepover friend

monster dance party

healthy late-night snack 

monsters transformed into flower faeries

flower faerie play dough sculpting

detail, another work in progress

helper, bringing in firewood

wrapped up for the weather

a ladybug cooking arroz con pollo and white chocolate mousse for the family

while listening to Cuban Radio on Pandora, just 'cause

"Mama, I'm a cat ballerina. Wanna take a picture?"

Sylvia-made salad with chickpeas

petting the magician's duck at the library

off on a sister adventure

An Argentina puzzle book led to listening to Argentine tango music, searching for more hidden pictures, decoding, cooking locro (an Argentinian stew), watching documentaries about gauchos and another about extreme mountain biking in Argentina. Unschooling in action!

My first finished painting! 

Emergence, acrylic on canvas, 24 x 24"

lots more snow

Ayla peeling potatoes, Sylvia writing to her penpal 

We went to the annual square dance and potluck with our homeschool co-op, with live music and caller. These pictures are from the one song that I sat out. We all had a lot of fun!

another painting, nearly finished

 Camille returning to her painting, after taking a couple of weeks off

Woohoo! Another one finished!

The Huntress, acrylic on canvas, 24 x 24"

Thanksgiving weekend is winding down and we celebrated simply at home. We roasted ducks that we raised ourselves, made way too many mashed potatoes, made a sour cherry sauce when we realized that we were out of cranberries from our friends' farm, danced, sang, painted, and enjoyed ourselves. I recovered from having two of my wisdom teeth removed. It's a good, simple, messy kind of life here that I am thankful for.