I'm Going to Make This Place Your Home...Exploring the World from a Midwestern Home

The world is an astounding place, the variety of cultures fascinating, the lessons learned from others around the world intriguing.  Having lived in a foreign country for three years, I have an appreciation for the unfamiliar.  Stepping outside of one's comfort zone as an adult gives one a true understanding of what children experience on a daily basis in their own cultures.  Can you imagine being a newborn, opening your eyes for the first time, glancing around, and seeing nothing of the womb that you have called "home" for quite some time?  Can you imagine being a baby trying all of the new foods that are introduced to you for the first time?  Can you imagine being a toddler expected to understand the world's complexities, having everyone telling you to hurry all the time, and, yet, still trying to comprehend how to make all things work with your tiny little hands?

Our little Clare does not let us rush her.  She takes life at her pace, and I admire her for it.  If you tell Clare to walk quicker, she'll reply, "My little legs don't go that fast!"  If you tell her to finish up an art project, she'll let you know that your time-frame for creativity is not going to stifle her imagination.  If you try to wake her up in the morning, she'll reply boldly, "I am just TOO sleepy to get up now."  The list goes on....and on....and on....and rather than pull my hair out in exasperation, I have just tried to embrace her pace and see the world from her perspective.  Shouldn't we all do that?  Try to see the world from others' perspectives?  Immerse ourselves in remote places to experience life from new vantage points?  Hence, my determination to teach our children about the world from a little home in the Midwest.

So, already this school year, in fourteen short days, we have traveled to China, Ohio, Paris, and back in time to the Ice Age.  We've marked our journey on maps, kept track of our progress on timelines, made a HUGE world seem smaller through technology, allowed literature and illustrations to transport us to different times and places, and stepped outside of the comfort zone of our own home (which for Clare, a TRUE homebody, is a BIG step) to explore.  Through it all, we have challenged ourselves to experience and embrace unfamiliarity.  Two fingers in her mouth and a twirl left standing in her hair, Clare will still inquire, "When can we just go home?"  To which I reply, "Hold onto me as we go, as we roll down this unfamiliar road, and although this wave is stringing us along, just know you're not alone, 'cause I'm going to make this place your home" ("Home," Phillip Phillips).

Our journey in just fourteen days:

After reading The Story of Ping by Marjorie Flack and Kurt Wiese, we went to a pond to feed the ducks.

Really, we ended up feeding A LOT of fish!

Journeying together as sisters.

Culminating our week of learning about China by eating Chinese food!  The chopsticks were a HUGE hit!

Recording our history lessons on a timeline.

Logging Paris, France, on the world map.  Notice Clare in the background with those two fingers in her mouth.  She must be thinking, "Oh, no....another journey!  Can't we just stay home?"

Finger painting the French flag.  Elle joins in by eating animal crackers.  It was the perfect place for her at the time...locked in the high chair and away from all finger painting aspirations.  The walls could still be Elle's palette.  We didn't need French flags all over the walls.

French flags to coincide with the story, Madeline, by Ludwig Bemelmans.

And Elle is still happily exploring the world by eating one exotic animal cracker at a time and being her typical silly self.

When learning about France, one MUST have French pastries!  It really is a MUST, so twenty minutes down the road, we found an authentic French bakery and cafe.  Who would have thought?  It was a little bit of fabulousness right here in the Midwest!

Standing by the eiffel tower with our box of pastries and our Perrier bubble water!

We're in France!  (OK...we're really still in the Midwest, but we have great imaginations and chocolate croissants in a box to go!  What could be better?)

Clare's face says it all!  She was not too fond of the Perrier sparkling water.

Brynn didn't really care for it either.

But, Elle.....

Elle wanted MORE!

Our little bit of fabulousness to take home!  Mmmm....yes, there are chocolate croissants in that box, and I LOVE chocolate croissants!

Getting ready to make our sugar-wafer Eiffel towers.

When I tucked Clare into bed on this day, she said that the highlight of her day was making her Eiffel tower and EATING it!  Look at that cute smile!

Our Germany-born girl wanted a chocolate Eiffel tower.  This chocolate-fanatic-momma can't really blame her!

Add a dollop of ice cream, and you have quite the amazingly edible Eiffel tower treat!  I think that the girls had their weekly intake of sugar in one sitting.

Reminding Brynn of her time in Pairs, France, as a baby with Grandpa Northrop.

Baby Brynn and Daddy in Paris, France!

Brynn appreciating artwork in Paris, France, at such a young age.

Heading back in time to the Ice Age!

Elle's all ready to go, too!

And, where's Clare you inquire?  Well....Clare doesn't like winter gear, so she let us know that the Ice Age wasn't a place in time for her.  To which I replied, "Hold onto me as we go, as we roll down this unfamiliar road, and although this wave is stringing us along, just know you're not alone, 'cause I'm going to make this place your home" ("Home," Phillip Phillips).