unschooly flow

The last few days have been spent at home organizing and cleaning and processing fruit sitting about. The kids and I did a huge garden clean up the day before yesterday which was incredibly thrilling. I cannot wait until the sunflowers bloom now that I will actually be able to see them! And I just noticed that the cosmos are actually almost as tall as me!

So then today, fueled by a few days at home, we went out. As days go, today has been one of those unschooly-in-the-city sorts of days that flows from one learning-while-living situation to another. One of those days that makes me smile from the seeming ease of it all. And it IS easy. Or it can be. At least two hours of this day have been. Mostly. It obviously seems to be easy on days like today. The learning and inspiration come in quickly, hand over fist. Little minds. Big minds. All open and ready for adventure. It all seems to flow more easily if I remember to flow with the day or even get on for the ride, whichever the case may be...(Of course, other days, less *inspired* days [I hesitate to qualify days like that, as though one is necessarily *better* than the other.] are valuable as well. All days, up or down, have their place in the ebb and flow. Were it not for the last few down-time days, this day could have been more about chaos and overload than about flow and ease. You just never really know what kind of day it is until it actually is. And all that.)

So we started off going to the Wednesday Farmer's Market in Downtown Portland {spontaneously!} to pick up tomatoes! and melons! I also picked up an eggplant. Can't wait to roast it later on tonight. Eva tried a handmade key lime chocolate and we all tried samples of Hot Lips' new cherry soda. I really enjoy the smaller size of this market and need to remember it is so easy to pop over here on Wednesday for an hour to pick up produce. (The close proximity of the parking garage makes it even easier.)

We wandered down to check out the music put on by the Portland Center for the Performing Arts (mostly so that I could verify it was indeed happening because no one was interested in sitting and listening to it- at least not today.) There were a few art projects set up for kids and a few booths selling handmade cards and clothing and such.

Next, we went by Finnegans, just to check things out, but ended up coming out with several sciencey type projects including a volcano that turns into a dinosaur, odd squishy cubes (silly squares) that you add to water {and they grow!} and one of those Mystical Gardens that you add water to. All three of these projects are on-going right now as the kids move back and forth between them and the game they are playing together in the back yard. So that's all good.

Then we tried out some tacos and a burrito from the food carts on 10th and Alder in Downtown Portland. Samuel is hooked on those Jarrito sodas, specifically the mango flavor, and we hunted down one of those as well.

And so a full day-out-of-the-house had by all. And now for a little knitting, which is surely {one of} the best ways to finish off a day. Or at least an afternoon. Gotta rest up, after all. All hell could break loose at any moment and I would love to be able to flow with that {as well}...



summer market goodness