candlemas, a little celebration for a big thing...

at school this week we celebrated candlemas, traditionally done on feb 2nd when the lengthening of days starts it's slow climb toward spring. we have been lucky enough to enjoy so many sunny days in maine this winter, and many of them felt more like spring than ever before. usually we feel all frozen until february or march when the little thaw creeps in ever so slowly taking it's time. this year it feels like we have alternated between full on winter snow days and muddy melting spring days.
either way we are glad to have longer days headed our way and mud season too.
we celebrated candlemas at playschool by simply making a few candles. we made a painted wax variety and also the dipping variety. i was bolstered by the efforts of the children in patiently dipping the wick again and again...out little candles might not look like much but very much time and effort and gentleness went into making each one.
cheers to bringing in spring!

Open House & Craft Afternoon

Morning Glory Garden is pleased to announce a Holiday Crafting Afternoon and Open House!

Just in time to make a special handmade present for you and yours, join us Saturday December 17th from Noon until Naptime!
We will have a Free Holiday craft for each parent to work on with their child and take home.

Please R.S.V.P. to this event at jesanthonis@gmail.com

Hope to see you all there!

{december} garden of light

lantern walk

this week we celebrated martinmas by holding a small lantern walk at our new playschool location. although we had a few stumbles, lights that went out too soon and it wasn't quite dusk when we started out it was still lovely and nourishing the way only a lantern walk can be. the children and I are still humming our songs from the past few weeks as the play becomes centered around lanterns, fire and walking out to the crabapple tree where the walk to place to look for lost lanterns, lost mittens and papa footprints. instead we found half eaten deer apples (almost more exciting!)

bread day}

{this week on a rainy day}

we polished our apples

we made apple butter

we built forts

we chased chickens in mud puddles

we found secret stars

celebrating micha-el}

I'll be a knight for Michael, too,

And polish my crown to a golden hue.

Ask the gnomes the iron to mine,

Iron from the stars, from the earth, so fine,

To bring to the blacksmith, who with his might

Will make me a sword, so strong, so bright.