homeschooling // friendship necklaces for pen pals

today stella and i spent some time at our dining room table as the morning light made its way through our front windows.  as i started to jot a few things down in my garden journal, like what sorts of things we were going to try this year, she worked away stringing beads together making necklaces and bracelets for her pen pals.  it was a simple and sweet activity to do for someone her age.  the concentration, the option to choose colors, the dexterity it took to get those tiny beads onto string.  but the message in making these gifts was what really shined.  she we worked, we talked about her friends, the importance of community, and how nice this gesture will make them feel.  she kept listing off people to send them to, so i got started stamping envelopes.  we worked together like this for over an hour, just chatting away about color patterns and princesses and when she could play outside.  i love how informal our homeschool routine has become.  sure, we do a fair amount of letter work and puzzles and books, but these sort of organic activities remain my very favorite because of the important messages they instill.  i hope as stella grows, she continues her love for handwritten notes and snail mail.  i believe things like this are of great importance, and something we need not let slip away as technology seems to become the center of our daily lives.