An Educational Post

Not all education happens in school, or during school hours.

I am posting this picture just because it was the best Swiss Apple pie Mommy ever made.

Look at those layers! The crust was browned and crispy all the way across the bottom, the apples were soft with just the right amount of crisp, the custard was light and creamy. Ahhhhh!!! Mwah!

Seppi and Winnie’s bake shop boutique.

Bourbon rye molasses cookies.

And banana chocolate chip rye muffins.

Are they really learning how to bake? Or are they learning how to follow instructions (sort of); listen and watch; ask before they stick their hands into things. They are certainly learning that food is something you make by combining ingredients together in new and creative ways, not something that you get ready packaged from Costco. (No offense, Costco, we love you).

Is Winnie really learning to knit? No. (Seppi is). But she is learning that knitting is fun and cool, it is something Mommy does, and she loves Mommy. She is learning that clothing can be made from yarn and fabric and other raw-ish materials.

Can Evie actually cut the orchard grass with that scythe?

Sort of. She can’t swing it for very long, and she lacks the muscle and coordination to cut the grass efficiently. But she is learning that it can be done, and that perfectly ordinary people that she actually knows (like this guy) can cut grass without a lawnmower.

Not that I would want to cut the whole lawn with a scythe. That would be a huge waste of time, unless we first let it get tall enough to be worth harvesting for hay.

So much focus! Duck eggs really are the best for baking.

They can’t even read a recipe, or reliably measure an ingredient, or even really pour it into the bowl without spilling. Some people might say having them “help” is a waste of time. I have sympathy with that sentiment, but the truth is that they are learning, nonetheless.

4-year-old Seppi has no clue how to make this low tunnel, run irrigation, start seeds or plant out the starts. For 14-year-old Seppi the whole process will be second nature.

That’s an education.