Learning time {Fairy Tale}

SCHOOL IS OUT. KIDS ARE IN.

Did you just say… “holidays”?! I am learning how to navigate this blessed time of the year. I am doing well, thank you. As I type this, you see, my two kids are watching a “scary movie”: Nanny McPhee. Apparently, nothing glamorous to gloat about. Still, there are circumstances I am learning to manage and today this means it is pouring down, no beach, everybody’s locked inside a summer dwelling that’s all beautiful and neat… Until it rains and we need some kind of umbrella to go from one room to the other.

THE BEST SCHOOL

Still, this is perfect to sit down and ponder. I strongly believe that outdoor life is the best school possible for kids, adults… humans of all walks of life. Kids can finally run free, gather small treasures, swim and play alone or with friends. Everything is possible. They are as inquisitive, curious, and daring as ever - sheer delight in my book. Not to mention that it provides tons of stories and memories. Think long winter evenings, more rainy days… And yet, there are still rules to abide by.

Combine the two and both kids and parents learn how to define that thin line to ensure balance and well… happy holidays for everyone involved.

CARVE OUT

Holidays turn out to be a unique learning opportunity. This is also when I have a craving for a different kind of learning - this is when night time is my savior. I have literally turned into a nocturnal bird who relishes the late hours to bask in silence, thoughts, meditation and creative activities. This is when I carve out time for my school hours.

NIGHT OWL

Once everyone is sound asleep, only the walls of the house, the local cicadas and the occasional owl still stir. This is when creativity kicks in! Sitting down in the small patio, I take out the painting gear, my friends for the night: sheets of white paper, paint brushes, watercolors, Micron pens… How can I possibly feel lonely with them? Sometimes the moon sits next to me - just recently she blushed so intensely that everybody spoke about her! The blood moon, they called it. Is that some great company, or what?!

MY FAVE ACTIVITIES

What I have drawn and painted so far, are mainly flowers: dahlias, peonies, roses (very difficult) thanks to this gorgeous book. I have doodled a lot too, thanks to another amazing resource I went through before leaving on holiday with the kids. As the hours grow dark, I feel safe and inspired - sometimes even overwhelmed by all that my mind wants to grasp, achieve, discover… It imagines the podcasts I want to catch up with, the latest chapter in my current book (this, by the way), the pictures taken during the day I would like to edit, categorize and rename, the blogs I would like to read and the shell collection I would like to wash and display… And the list goes on and on…

This may sound like a to-do list, but it is not. I just let my mind take me where it feels most at ease and safe. No list, no pressure. And, do not be mistaken, this is what I am learning. For me, and for my kids. Learning to just…be here.

Credits: TheDaydreamer