Although there was absolutely no forethought given to it, I realized this afternoon that we have fallen into some very hands-on learning about the four elements this summer. It made me think of a song on an old cassette from my crunchier days about the earth, the air, the fire, and so on. (I was pretty darned crunchy before crunchy was cool let's just say ; ))  It was a tenet of wholistic education that learning be as multisensory as possible as well as incorporating lots of natural elements. I can't say that I worked very intentionally on that beyond what our faith already wove into our lives – candles, incense, baptismal water, Easter fire etc. 

Somehow without trying (in the sense of not have a 'program') I realized that all those earthy things are filling our days. There are fires for roasting around, tidepools to wade in, gardens for digging, sand to dig toes into, wind to whip your hair every which way. We are gone alot finding wild places.  When we are back home we have had many discussions like why did the forest fire burn faster and longer than the prairie fires did? What does drowning look like? Which way should you stand so the bubbles blow away instead of popping in your hair? Why does the dirt blow in great clouds over the fields when the rains stops falling? What is inside a shell? What is growing on the rocks?  Why do we need more water in the summer? Why does the sunscreen work?

So many questions. So many talks. So many afternoons out under the sky. 

This whole outdoor thing pushes a mom out of her comfort zone.  The elements can be dirty and dangerous, but also lifegiving and sustaining.  They are to be used and channeled not avoided in a healthy life.  This is the messy world we were born into.  It's wild and wonderful. We are happier out in it. We sleep better.  We all smile more.

Ok,  we wash more clothes and shoes too.  But it's worth it. 

I should add the disclaimer that there have been other summers with new babies or illness that confined us to more backyard adventures.  The four elements are found there too. Sand and water tables, sparklers, pinwheels, windowboxes. Even on a smaller scale they have made for happy kids.