Goldenrod Tell me, sunny goldenrod, Growing everywhere, Did fairies come from fairyland And make the dress you wear? Did you get from mines of gold Your bright and shining hue? Or did the baby stars some night Fall down and cover you? I love you, laughing goldenrod,  And I will try, like you, To fill each day with deeds of cheer; Be loving, kind, and true. -Author Unknown

As I was sharing on Monday, the Waldorf tradition of slowing down and savoring the changing of the seasons has always been appealing. So I marked days off on our school calendar this year and planned to use them to "breathe in" special times, mainly equinoxes and festivals.

Last Thursday and Friday were our first marked days off, to be spent welcoming the Fall Equinox. (I can hardly believe that it's here!) On Thursday, a good friend hosted a homeschool Woodland class at her house complete with leaf rubbings, q-tip paintings of changing trees, and a scavenger hike through the woods. Such fun! And a good chance for all our kids to spend time with each other.

On a quick sidenote, I've had so many conversations lately about homeschool and socialization. It was something that I worried about with homeschooling, but decided this was more important. I'm still happy with our choice, and we've ended up having so many chances to socialize- between sports, classes, library, playdates & Girl Scouts- that I often have to choose to stay home to make sure we keep up with our curriculum. There's also some good thoughts in this article, "What about Socialization?"

Back to the equinox! On Friday another friend had planned a field-trip to an apple orchard. Isia dressed herself for the occasion, with this skirt sewn so long ago. It's been her favorite lately, which means there might need to be a few more on the horizon. Especially now that she's old enough to help! We did a hayride around the orchard, then stopped to pick an apple. At least that was the plan...