Hallows
How much energy we put into Halloween and why; a cursive worksheet builder; the energy behind everything
“I wish you were the type of mom that decorates,” one of my children remarked to me the other day. Decorate for Halloween, is what she means. Because we do pumpkins and these ball jar glasses wrapped in white tape that look a little like friendly mummies…and that’s about it.
There are other ways they see me put energy into Halloween though. Planning their costumes with them in advance, and ordering one or two things to complete them. Keeping an eye on locally scheduled activities, like the trick or treating in different neighborhoods, or haunted houses. This year we'll take a road trip back to where we used to trick or treat, our old neighborhood, and stay in a hotel the night before, effectively planning a two day vacation around the holiday.
And why? I guess I feel Halloween is about as close as one can get to the feast celebration days that communities around the world have held throughout history. Being out in the streets together, eating, talking, the mingling of all the ages together, giving gifts (candy) to everyone who comes by, setting aside of socioeconomic status and why you might know someone or not know them and instead: merely admiring them as a human in a costume. The foundational expectations are understood by everyone who shows up and opts-in simply by showing up in costume. In certain neighborhoods, gasp, children are even allowed to parade around on their own and harvest their own feasts for the evening.
I will probably never make it to the carnival in Venice, but I imagine Halloween in America comes close, be it only for a few hours.
But yes, I don’t decorate.
A cursive worksheet builderI teach my children cursive but I never learned it myself (I didn’t want to; self-chosen penalty for an unschooled child!). Sometimes they ask me how the letters connect in a certain word and…I have no idea. I make a guess, but it feels like a guess, and we all know it. So I was thrilled to discover the Handwriting Without Tears (the same folks we buy our handwriting workbooks from) worksheet-maker that will draft cursive sentences for us, perfectly. It’s free, and quite fun to use.
The energy behind everything 
The new things we began this fall are going wonderfully, including piano and theater. I’ve been thinking through why these new activities came on board so smoothly—no complaining, no fatigue, only excitement and interest. Remembering to practice takes a brief suggestion on my part, no dull repeating. I’m convinced it’s the time available. It’s easy for my kids to take on another thing because they have hours to themselves every day. Boredom is a constant companion. In talking with parent friends, their kids come home from eight hours of school and are quite rightly exhausted. They don’t want another thing to do—and of course there are more things to do, titled homework right in their backpacks!
It has me thinking through the energy behind everything, and where we get the inner inspiration to pursue learning.
An Advent calendar treatI am loathe to suggest another thing for you to buy, but in the spirit of honesty I do want to share that I bought this Grapat $105 wooden bits and bobs Advent calendar set for us. I am secretly thinking of it as a gift for myself this holiday as matriarch of holiday traditions and concerns. It’s a milder sort of calendar, with ideas like make cookies from this recipe, and think about rocks and minerals and draw them. There are little wooden shapes to go with each idea and a booklet explaining each day. It’s beautifully crafted. Available from several stores but I’m linking to one that has free shipping. (I noticed the previous link I shared has now sold out, so I updated it to a different shop with free shipping. Here’s one more.)
So surreal to be typing about evoking Christmas thoughts whilst innocent people in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza are under siege and living in terror.
The Cloud Appreciation Society 
I may end up recommending a 1000 Hours Outside podcast in every newsletter of mine, so be it!; I really enjoyed the interview with the Cloud Appreciation Society. I’m thinking of becoming a member! We see so many interesting clouds and it would be a special thing to learn the names and start to attend to them more.
And a quote for youI feel I’ve done everything backwards: this totally driven writer at the time when the kids were little and desperately needed me. And now, when they don’t need me at all, I love them so much. I moon around the house and think, ‘There used to be a lot more family dinners.’
-novelist Alice Munro, a quote noted by Jessica Stanley in her newsletter
I love hearing that you didn't learn cursive, I'm not sure my unschooled children will and, as someone who did all the school stuff, it's always great to hear that things like cursive aren't essential to adult success (of course I know that, but doubts always happen). It's true that Halloween is one of the only times we knock on random people's doors and they greet us joyfully.
I relate so much to the time available sentiment! When days are hard and I want to give up homeschooling, I always come back to the things, like piano, that would instantly be too much for my almost 8 year old. A lot of things keep me homeschooling when times are tough, but the gift of time for my children is number one.