duchess autumn

This week's nature story, told by the fireplace last night, was the beautiful "Duchess Autumn", an original Enki Education seasonal poem. After I got done telling the story, the children immediately began pretend-play in which they were King Summer and Duchess Autumn, bringing changes to the leaves and trees and land and weather. The Map Man and I just smiled and enjoyed watching them, and marveled to ourselves about what an amazing curriculum this is, and how lucky we are to be using it.

This morning, after recalling the story, we did a full led-drawing -- I felt this was appropriate with this particular story, since we were embodying the change of seasons in a magical being. So we drew Duchess Autumn, in all of her splendor. The first drawing is, obviously, mine.

J's drawing. I love the bubble with Duchess Autumn expressing "Fall!", commanding the leaves (over her head) and acorns (a very large acorn at her feet) and maple keys (at her hand). He's being creative with his title placement as well these days.






As we were drawing, Zoo Boy said "I sure wish we could see Duchess Autumn. Do you think I could see her sometime, Mommy?" I just smiled and kept drawing, I know a rhetorical question when I hear one!





Zoo Boy's rendition of Duchess Autumn. He wanted very little help with this drawing -- I think I helped him with the light area in the center (the first thing we draw on the page) and Duchess Autumn's robe (which was the first part of her we drew), and that's it, everything else is all him. That red thing in the tree is a red squirrel, he said, and she is holding an apple (that's the stem sticking out).

And off we go to enjoy Duchess Autumn's work this afternoon! On tap is apple picking and leaf watching!