Painted Poetry

So, I really want to homeschool the children next year.  I really do.  (I also want to have another baby, get chickens, expand the garden and preserve more food).  Right now they are at a lovely little Montessori school, in the same class.  Pea goes five days a week from 8:30 to 12:00, and Dumpling goes three days, same time.

And, sometimes I feel really panicky, like I must start teaching and showing myself that I can do it, and I start to nag Pea--let's play with your moveable alphabet, let's write a letter, etc, etc.  It sometimes, but doesn't always work.  But if I sit down and start writing a letter myself, which, I must confess, rarely happens, she will inevitably join the party.  The other day, I remembered how I used to decorate my classroom with words--I would find poetry that I liked, write it somewhat fancily in permanent marker on watercolor paper, and then paint over it.   I decided to try to make something like that for our nature table for Thanksgiving, and so I found a Thanksgiving poem, and copied it and painted it in fall colors.  And guess what--the kids were so into it.  We ended up painting over several poems of their choosing for their room, and then Pea dictated her own poem to me, which she then painted over:

Hendersonville Happiness

Morning sun
lights the ditches,
beautiful sunshine
lights up the
beauty of the world.

Not bad for a five year old.  And she is writing.  I am satisfied.