New shoes, Autumn weather, wind sock, pond dipping and meditation

We have been talking about the Autumn weather lately, as Harlan needed some sturdier shoes now it is getting colder and wetter. I explained that sandals were great in Summer but his new boots from Happy Little Soles were more appropriate for the time of year. He is so much happier in 'barefoot' shoes as he has wide feet and a high instep and they tend to be much roomier shoes with lovely soft leather.

This afternoon we were at a bit of a loss so I decided to initiate one of the projects I have been meaning to do for a while - making a windsock for the garden. We took an empty plastic bottle and I cut both ends off. Harlan practiced his scissor skills by cutting strips of a plastic bag (Sainsbury ones are nice and colourful) which we then sellotaped around the edge of one end of the bottle. We found a long stick from one of our trees and stuck it in the ground, then tied the windsock to it with garden twine.

We went pond dipping a week or so ago with a Home Ed group and Harlan loved it. We were lucky enough to catch some of the rare crested newts which are normally illegal to disturb. However the farm we were on had special permission to pond dip for educational reasons. We ended up repeating the pond dipping today in our flooded sandpit, which was full of tiny mosquito larvae and fascinating to my boy. He used his bug pot to scoop some up and examine them, before tipping them back.

Lately my husband and I have been having a few challenges thrown at us by Harlan, as he has inherited my temper and stubborness. I don't want to 'train' these traits out of him, as his father and I both have confidence issues and I think the characteristics Harlan has will be beneficial as an adult. However, whilst I think getting angry and getting upset are perfectly healthy emotions, I don't want them to be expressed through violence. We have ended up holding him in a big hug so he can't hurt himself or us, but it takes him quite a while to calm down. Today he was pushing me, despite knowing I am not steady on my feet due to illness. I sat down with him on my lap and rather than fighting me off, he was ready to engage with me. On the spur of the moment I decided to try a very basic version of a guided meditation. I asked him to imagine we were walking through the woods and suggested some animals we might see. After a minute he joined in with suggesting animals, and we ended it by walking up a hill and having a rest at the top. By the time we were finished (only a few minutes) he was calm again. I don't think it would work if he had completely lost control, as he can't rationalise at that point, but I hope it will prove useful if we can use it in time.