Before I fall back into the habit of not posting...

This is a post that should have been made back in October or early November, but since I wasn't blogging much then, I'll give it to you now.

My two older girls (ages 14 and 10) got to craft classes at a youth center once a week. Since they are homeschooled, they don't have many opportunities (especially during the school year) to socialize (yes, that word) with Polish-speaking young people. Polish school children are the busiest I have ever seen. My ten-year-old's closest friend (who is 11 years old, at the most) takes English lessons, tennis lessons, swimming lessons, music lessons, and something else I forget right now. She has at least one activity after school every day (sometimes more), and Polish schools also assign a great deal of homework.

That's why my kids don't get to see friends very often during the school year--especially as the days grow short--and that is why the only way I can arrange a little opportunity-to-speak-Polish-with-young-people is to join 'em and sign my kids up for "after school" activities. The art/craft class is the only thing we do.

One daughter really loves the class, while the other one merely tolerates it. However, I find it beneficial for both of them.



Especially when they learn to make something really cool, such as roses from autumn leaves. I had bouquets of these sitting around all through the autumn, and I loved it.