I knew from the start when I brought Birdy home from school years ago, that I didn’t want to recreate the “classroom” in our house. That I envisioned our learning environment to blend from the living room to our kitchen to our backyard and beyond… I honestly was so nervous in the prospect of teaching my child, and so busy researching this new world, purchasing curriculum and materials, and pouring into her, that I didn’t give the Learning Aesthetic much thought! I just figured it would evolve over time, and art projects and coloring pages would cover the walls, hand-play taking over the rugs, my sanity left at the door.

What I didn’t see coming, was that books would mold our Nest.

Our days began with a Morning Collective, where Birdy and I would curl up on the couch, under a knit blanket, Story at my chest, and read. This started with numerous titles, piled in baskets at my feet we would pick up from the Base Library (as we had been living in Japan at the time), now to shleves pouring over between these walls, a collection we have built and continue adding to. This sunrise practice has stuck- throughout the day as well, or at night snuggled up in my bed. The girls are much older, but these stories have become the foundation to our learning.

Reading is the base of the way we learn… Yes, we still use a teeny bit of curriculum, but nothing can compare to how these girls minds have been shaped, expanded, opened up to the world through written words. They devour books. Both bring one or two along everywhere we go, like a friend. Both now write stories of their own, typing and printing and illustrating and binding in brad folders or with card-stock covers.. The stories seep into their imaginative play, their games, their journaling and art work.

You can really tell if your child is thoroughly comprehending and enjoying what your reading with them when they are dressed like the characters, or writing about them, or inspired by the story line to create a game. (These pictures- the girls are reading "A mid-Summer Nights Dream by Shakespeare- so fairies it is!)

I wanted to share a few of our favorite titles from this past year…

For classics: I love mixing up our fun reads with the language of Classic Novels! We all learn and the girls love the beauty of the story-telling and characters!

Wind and the Willows

Grimms Fairy Tales // Aesops Fables (I love adding in these short stories)

The Hobbit

Secret Garden

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

The Wizard of Oz

For our more Fun reads- Adventure and Love and triumph

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory -The witches -Matilda—-really anything from Roald Dahl- We are working our way through his collection!
Harry Potter- We are continuing on with the series (movie nights when we complete the books are epic!)
Girl who Drank the Moon // The ogress and the Orphans- Kelly Barnhill has quickly become a favorite in our home.
Wildwood- This is our current adventure and oh my golly its so good!

I’m not including what the girls read for personal fun, assigned books, library books or research or nature or poetry, etc… Those are endless!

The words from these amazing authors has painted visions of star filled skies and roaring seas and endless forests into our minds… Colors and shapes and feelings we express throughout our artwork, writing and drawings, our Home… we now crave blankets and oversized floor pillows, candles in the morning, soft lighting-classical or cottage or woodland music while we work- baking breads and pies to snack on through Math lessons- twirling when it rains, laying in the warmth on sunny days—- Our home has changed 3 times since we started on this journey, first a townhome on our Navy Base in Japan, then another in Sicily, to now a little brick house back on the Gulf Coast- but the aesthetic has continued to be one of comfort. I think that the kids learn best, absorb so much more, where they feel at ease, in a soothing and content environment… By keeping the rhythm soft here in this space, especially when some of our days are crazy with errands and co-op and extra curricular activities, I’m allowing their minds to widen and explore, allowing the freedom of learning to entwine with Life. Its all the same….

Sometimes, for my babes, our lifestyle can become overwhelming—- deployments are rough and demand so many emotions to daily deal with, mom-life gets a bit chaotic so of course that has an effect, and changes from moving countries (or even just to a new area) take so much time to adjust to. Having your space cozy and inviting for learning is crucial- Make it your vision- it can be anything! Thats the joy-

Thank you if you made it this far into my rambling—- till next time, xoxo

The Importance of our "Homeschool" Aesthetic.... well, for us.