look what the solstice faeries left!!!

Our Newest Additions!!

This year the solstice faeries left DOLLS! The boys love them & have been taking care of them nicely!! I need to get some better pictures of them, but here they are! I plan on posting more about our winter solstice activities, but for now I just wanted to share these sweet dolls!

I custom ordered them from Duck Duck Goose Toys, check out her little shop on etsy! They are perfect and she went way out of her way to get them to me by the Solstice!!!

Now I need to get busy making some doll clothes!!!

1st day of homeschool

Our first day of pre-k 'home school'!! (Waldorf is non-academic before 1st grade, so it's more like a loosely organized preschool plan) I changed my mind on this weeks theme at the last minute. Since we are going to the Ohlone Day festival this weekend, I thought it would be fun to do some native American tales. I found a book with 3 animal tales from the Indian of this area that were very age appropriate for him and not too long. Kylan loved the first one we read! We did our first circle time (more on that later) and read one tale, then drew from the story. Kylan was so eager and really liked the tale. He will love the festival, can't wait to go!

In the background is my first try at chalk board drawing. I will change it every week or two to go along with our theme or the season. I really can't draw at this point, but I'm eager to learn too!

Don't know why, but these would only load sideways!? We both drew from the story (birds on a tiny mountain top during a flood) The top one is mine, it was so cute that he tried to draw the same, I was a little surprised! His is so cute:)

Geoff made 3 chalkboards with large frames we had in storage. We put one down low in our living room so the boys could draw on it:)

Tomorrow we will read the second story and bake cornbread and maybe '3 sisters harvest stew':)

planning

So I've been planning for our first year homeschooling. Kylan will have kindergarten this year and next year, so this is kind of a test run. He will be 5 in November. Waldorf education does not start academics until 1st grade, so it will be somewhat like a preschool. Circle time, crafts, art, lots of seasonal activities.

Basically we will have a weekly theme (or book) and 3 days of planned activities around that theme, for instance one week next month will be about apples.

Day 1- read books about apples/fall, paint apples

Day 2- visit a u-pick apple orchard

Day 3- Bake with apples and make apple butter

So here are our themes for the fall-

Sept.

week 1 Harvest

week 2 apples

week 3 autumn

week 4 autumn equinox

Oct

week 1 monarch butterflies

week 2 pumpkins

week3 leaves

week 4 Halloween

Nov

week 1 Lono and Cocoa Boata

week 2 cont.

week 3 light (candles)

week 4 Thanksgiving

Dec.

week 1 trees

week2 rain

week 3 winter solstice

week4 Christmas

week 5 off

I am planning on writing a more detailed schedule monthly, but this is the basic plan.

I have been finding crafts and books with the fall theme and it's made me think about planning for fall in other areas of our lives. We tend to do everything last minute...like buy firewood during the first big storm and have to run out and get a new tarp, etc. So writing a basic yearly schedule for our household is another thing on the agenda. I do love writing list. Not always so good at getting things done, but G is!

We are currently decluttering and deep cleaning, it's just that time of year isn't it!? I think another little juice fast is in order as well. Clean it out!

Are you (or someone you know of) planning on blogging about kindergarten homeschooling? Please let me know if you are so I can follow your blog, thanks!!

daily rhythm

Everest 1 year ago today

As our daily rhythm is ever changing like the seasons of the year, we have gotten a little off beat. Everest has finally changed from two naps to one, but he still wants to take it so early! Everything seems to have unraveled and even meal times have not been regular. I am working on a new rhythm for our family and enjoying these longer days! Simple Moms Blog just posted '20 tips for finding your routine with kids' and it was inspiring. I need to get back to doing my 'paperwork' in the morning with my first cup of coffee...writing out the meals for the day, planned activities, things to do, etc. I also like to balance our budget and do any menu planning at that time to. It was good habit for a couple months but I haven't been doing it this month. I have to say, my husband having a week off work totally threw me off!

Kylan, 1 year ago

I've been feeling like I'm being pulled in so many directions I can't keep up with anything! I guess that's called life:) I often get focused on a set routine/rhythm for the kids and forget that it all starts with me! I need my own rhythm and routine for myself. I am not a morning person and Everest is bouncing off the walls by 5:30am. It's been a big challenge for me to be the kind of mom I want to be at 5am!! If I can sneak off and take a quick shower it makes a world of difference, so that's one thing I want to incorporate into my mornings. And, well, it's almost 11pm so I better go to bed since I know I'll be up to see the sun rise:)

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I am reminded of the quote-

"strive for excellence, not perfection"

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Have a beautiful almost-springtime week!

Boys, dolls, and vacuumes

For Christmas my dad (aka Opa) sent the boys little rechargable battery vacuums for Christmas. Kylan had been asking for one since his last one broke a while ago, he LOVED using it!!! So it is our new ritual to clean up and vacuum before dinner. They have been having so much fun helping! Today Kylan declared that it was his dolls Birthday and played with it a lot. His doll wanted to help him vacuum, so of coarse Everest has to do what his brother is doing, so the two of them ran around vacuuming with dolls in hand. It was so cute! I really couldn't get a good picture, but I thought I'd share anyway!

hehe:)

Rhythm and Routine

I recently began reading about Waldorf Inspired education/living. One big thing that has helped me immensely is setting up a better rhythm in our home. It is still a work in progress and I always love reading about others household rhythm and routines.

Over at the blog Seasons of Joy, Annette has started a series about her household routine. I really enjoyed the first post and look forward to reading more. If you have blogged about your rhythms please leave a comment with a link and I'll add it to this post:)

Thanks!

Autumn nature table

We set up our fall nature table. It was challenging finding a spot that Kylan can reach, but Everest can't! We picked a little spot on there toy shelf next to our turtles tank. Kylan helped pick out the little acorns, mini pine cones, and bark from our yard. He also thought the faeries would enjoy a cherry tomato from our garden. We picked up the hand carved wooden squirrel from the gift shop at one of our local state parks. I love the fall!

Waldorf inspired parenting

I am eagerly (or impatiently) awaiting the arrival of books and supplies from A Little Garden Flower. I bought her book on The Early Years and Waldorf Kindergarten.

Several months ago I began to read about Waldorf Education, and am thirsty for more info. It really resonates with me and I have already gained so much from the few books I have read. The foundation of the early years (0-7yo) is creating a strong rhythm in your home, free play, arts and crafts, and real work. Creating a daily rhythm has helped us enormously! It seems so basic, but we did not have a set rhythm.

I also moved bedtime up to 7:30pm, which has been great. Kylan gave up napping very early. He was going to bed around 9pm and waking whenever the baby got up in the morning, usually 6ish. That is not enough sleep for a 3 year old! Now bedtime is 7:30 and he wakes between 6-7. It really make a difference if he gets even an hour less sleep!

I have established strong daily rhythms and am still working on our weekly and yearly rhythms (traditions).

Children are greatly affected by there environments and during the early years mimic and reflect their environments and their caregivers. I recently came across a few notes I wrote down when I was first reading about Waldorf education, this is in relation to ages 0-7-

'Everything that affects a child from outside is recreated within...

This places great responsibility on the adults raising a child; they must be worthy of imitation!'

'Nurturing the adult always nurtures the child'

Other thoughts on parenting young children-

What is the tone of your home?

Talk less/don't over explain

Your energy and attitude will be imitated!

Be direct, firm, loving, and warm

stay at home more

find rhythm

limit TV and commercialized products

no guilt trips

avoid sarcasm

don't expect a toddler to control his/her emotions when most adults can't!

So, I am still working on many of these. No one is perfect. I feel encouraged to improve myself and grow into the kind of person I want to be. I look forward to my journey homeschooling my children!

'Strive for excellence, not perfection!'

parenting passageway

I like this article from The Parenting Passageway. I have gained a lot of wisdom from her blog, it is from a Waldorf perspective, but I feel has useful info for all parents. As she states, take what resonates with you and leave the rest-


http://theparentingpassageway.com/2009/08/17/raising-peaceful-children/

night-night snack

Kylan and Everest having their 'night-night' snack.

We started having the nightly ritual of having a snack before bed. It's great because Kylan is a picky eater so far and tends to not eat much during dinner, then wants to eat right before bed, or after going to bed! Every night they split a piece of whole wheat toast with butter and honey and some milk (soy or almond). They both seam to look forward to it and it adds to our nightly ritual, bedtime tends to go smoothly:) So...shower, snack, brush teeth, story, bedtime.