The Fun Stuff

Saving the best for last may be a fine way to manage ones dinner plate, but it's a poor way to run a [home]school.  Maybe it's distractibility or perhaps my temperament, but I tend to get caught up in the urgent--laundry, math, cooking, grammar--and run out of energy or time before enjoying crafts, music, or art.

This year I'm tackling my habit two ways: by prioritizing and co-oping.

I've set aside two big chunks of time on Monday and Friday mornings (not after lunch or "regular" school) for sewing with the girls. Even when I slack off, we usually manage something enriching.

For me, co-oping is an excellent way to make me do what I want to.  Two years ago I ran across this post about waxing autumn leaves.  Even with that bookmarked, and further encouragement from Elizabeth and Ginny last year, nothing happened.

This season I added leaf dipping to the list of group activities, and voila!  Accountability and responsibility for someone else's kids brings out the do-er in me.

Better late than never?

Disclosure:  A week later, our leaves are no longer brilliant.  I used white candle scraps instead of paraffin or beeswax, but I don't see how that would make a difference in preservation.  Wax is wax as far as sealing the leaf, right?  If you know something about making the colors last longer, I'd love to know about it.  We still have some brightness on the trees here . . .  Thanks!