Foray into Film: Homeschool Coop

     I've been experimenting with a cheap used film camera I bought online.  I wanted to take it on as a discipline.  Film doesn't allow me to work a picture by taking several shots at a time.  It forces me to pause and think and frame.  I hope I can incorporate that type of behavior with my digital.  If anything, that alone will save me badly needed storage space and inspire more thoughtful photography.  I started this experiment by taking pictures of the children at the coop I teach at every Wednesday.  A bunch of other wonderful moms and I share the teaching load of extra curricular subjects.  The moms get  help while the children get to understand the dynamics of a classroom environment and profit from a multi-aged peer group.  It's not a rare thing to see little newborns or babies sitting next to mom while she teaches.  We mothers also get to decide the curriculum and manage the school.  It works on so many levels. 

First Day of School

     We began our homeschool year in mid-August but this past week kicked off the school year with our classical school coop Alpha Omega.  So I get the best of both worlds--classroom instruction once a week and teaching the children at home the rest of the week.  I love the mothers at our school and of course, the children.

S waiting to board the van to school.

E would rather spend that time reading...

S waiting patiently...

Lots of notebooks for lots of notes :-)

Anxiety builds before chapel.  

D was still sick.  So he got to stay home that day and wiggle his toes for Daddy.

Hike the Heat: Hellman Trail

     A couple of days ago, I met up with a good friend and her girls to hike up Hellman Trail in Whittier, CA.  It was a hot day to be hiking 3 miles, half of which was uphill.  But there were cool breezes from the not-so-distant ocean and eventually, plenty of mature trees giving shade.  So many wild things in bloom from wild squash, prickly pear, wild aster and lavender could be found.  If we had been stranded there, we probably could have lived for a couple days on the food all around us.  

My lovely gazelle.  She typically can hike ahead of us but the initial switchbacks and hills were a challenge for this undaunted girl.

Once we reached the summit at Rattlesnake Trail, we were able to stop and in this case, smell the lavender.  It brightened E's day.

This is the view from the top of the switchbacks.   I found it incredible that wildlife could be found so close to concrete jungle.

One of the last hills before we hit Rattlesnake Trail.

Weeds all dried up.  I wonder what they are...

Prickly pear by the dozen.

Wild Aster. 

Back from the hike:  wild squash and calming lavender.