Just in Time for Fall

September 22, 2020

Hello, Montessori 123 friends! It's been a bit since we checked in, and boy has so much happened. The rest of farm school summer camp was a blast. There were so many wonderful highlights, and the best for me was experiencing the challenges and successes that come with teaching.

One example was when I pulled out the Montessori 123 seed to adult plant matching, and had our 10 year old campers first work on the activity then set it up for the younger campers. It was enriching giving older campers leadership opportunities to teach younger campers, especially in a setting where they can be surrounded by many of the plants they're identifying.

We had our fair share of summer fun, too! We made a DIY slip-n-slide, held an apple pick up speed race, pressed cider, and made daily visits up and down the river to play in the mud.

We made it through the rest of farm school summer camp in time for the smoke and lack of power to delay starting school in the valley. Coco and Pearl quickly experienced a honeymoon phase in getting to know their newly assigned Chrome books. We are grateful for our amazing public school for lending one to each child.

While this was happening, Marshall and I set to work pulling all the Russian Thistle that had to come out of our property and wrapping it up into a large tarp.

Then the first day of school finally came, and with the kids away Marshall and I had a chance to escape to above the smoke. It was so nice to breathe clean, fresh air and take in the view.

September is no joke in the harvesting department, and the delightful work we did over the summer is paying off in a beautiful way. Tomatillos are in abundance, plus pears, kale, and little plums that fall from the trees. As Pearl says, "We are rich with tomatoes!" Of course, there's also many plants that are so tiny they look like they were grown in a doll house. Go figure. I’m definitely working on our soil over the next year.

We're making everything from delicious plum sauce to fruit leather to sesame kale chips to ice cream and yogurt. Plus, the eggs are coming in 6-8 each day! We're like puppies at Christmas each time we find a new one.

Nonni and Poppi came for the weekend and always have the best craft ideas for the girls. They cut out stencils and painted cool creations for getting ourselves Fall fun ready! We're excited for the start of school and all that comes with it. How were the rest of your summers, friends? What's your favorite thing about the beginning of fall?

-Megan and the Montessori 123 Team