Live Free

Give Away Bliss

When I was just a girl, there were two things that I wanted desperately:  a trip to Disney World and a piano. Guess what?  Those wants never materialized. I write this without an ounce of self-pity too. Even young children can learn from the valuable life lesson that we don't always get everything we want in life. Years, no decades, have trickled by. And despite all the hoopla that the grand amusement park experience promises, I now firmly have no desire to ever visit it. What was the 8 year old me thinking anyway?  Oh, I just liked Mickey Mouse, I guess. 

The piano...has a different ending, sort of. 

My mom cleaned houses for a living when I was a little girl. When school was out or when I was sick, I'd sometimes tag along with her to other people's houses. My favorite houses were the ones that had cable tv (Disney Chanel) and a piano. A couple of them had this perfect combination. 

I took lessons for a bit as a child. But I stopped because I didn't have a piano to practice on. Still, I always loved the piano and the idea of playing it. Somewhere inside of me, I've always regretted not continuing with the lessons. Really, I just loved music.  I loved playing my clarinet in the band. I even got a guitar for Christmas one year. In the end, though, I just dabbled. Adolescent and teenage years got in the way. I got bored with my teachers. And since then, I've never, ever considered myself a musician or musically inclined or whatever.  My musical interest disappeared - or I buried it. 

And then Bea came around and reminded me of a few things about myself I'd long forgotten. Even though I'm not a great singer and I am sure that I'll never master a musical instrument, she reminded me how much I still just love the act of music.  She is never more in her element than when we are singing or dancing together. In fact when she was just a few months old, I can remember driving around town and glancing back at her through the rear view mirror - dancing, oftentimes with rhythm, to the tunes on the radio. She's still something to see. Music, to her, is a force that can not be ignored. Each time we've entered a room with a piano, she's gravitated so strongly to it - climbing up on the bench, and touching and pressing keys with such interest and joy!  She's reminded me of how much I loved to do the same thing when I was a child.  

Thus, the last couple of months we've had our eye for the perfect piano for our needs, our house, and our budget. Last week, a post came up on Craigslist saying that the owner was moving and the first one to contact her could have her piano. We have a piano in our living room now.  I polished it today. It's lovely.  

Another wonderful thrifted gem to add to our home.  

 

 

No Nap Pumpkin Bread

One can never have a home that smells too much like baked breads, now can you? And with it being Autumn and all, I can't seem to preheat the oven without prepping a recipe that calls for spices and more spices. Lately, we've been enjoying pumpkin bread. I use the child friendly recipe taken from the Little Acorn Learning Monthly Guide for October. It's an incredibly simple recipe to follow. It goes something like this: gather ingredients into one big bowl, stir, and bake. Love that. To top it off, the recipe makes two loaves.

Here is the fine print:

• 16 ounces of canned pumpkin or fresh pumpkin
• 1/2 teaspoon of allspice
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of ginger
• 1 cup of vegetable oil
• 2.5 cups of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of baking soda
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 3.5 cups of all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup of water
• 2 greased bread loaf pans 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into both pans (be sure they are greased and floured first). Bake for approximately 50 minutes but be sure to check as to not overcook. Use a toothpick to poke in the center of loaves to see if it is done. Toothpick should come out dry. Take out of oven and let cool.

Maybe we can blame it on time change confusion, however I'm more convinced the sheer exuberant joy for living had more to do with the skipped nap yesterday. No worries, I put her to work! Oh she didn't resist dumping ingredients into the bowl.

Nor, did she resist licking the spoon,

or greasing the pans.

This girl loves her mama's baked goods and she especially loves pumpkin bread.  

We both had fun together working side by side. Some days, like yesterday, I still find myself wanting to pinch myself to make sure my life is real. That this little girl, in my feet, is real.  She makes for the best baking partner I could have ever imagined.  

So much better than a nap, wouldn't you say? 

 

Under the Big Chestnut Tree

Once again, my love for, what seems to be, all things Japanese is reaffirmed.

I came to love Japanese children's songs during my three years of teaching at Casa Montessori. Charlene, the founder of Casa and a wonderful, wonderful, mentor and Montessorian, lived in Japan for several years before coming home to Texas. She's one of those gifted teachers that children remember for their entire lives.  Music time with Mrs. Trochta is something children of all ages never want to miss out on! She really opened my world up to sharing music with children. While teaching there, I learned several little Japanese folk songs through music with Mrs. Trochta! And I loved them all - seriously. True to Japanese culture, even the children's songs are composed with such delicacy and care, while all the while, being utterly simple. Perfection.

It's fascinating to witness children learn lyrics from different languages with as much ease as they learn the English ones. I, on the other hand, have a boring, adult brain that has lost its ability to absorb languages with ease. So it's always a real effort to learn new lyrics in a foreign language. But nothing is as motivating as a sweet little song about playing under a chestnut tree.  

Then three years post Casa (can it really be that long?) along comes Elizabeth Mitchell's new album and I fall in love with Japanese children's songs all over again... 

 

Isn't this video the sweetest...

What are you listening to? 

Our Home

 

Lately, Bea likes to yoddle, "Our home!" as we turn onto our street and edge closer to our driveway. I can relate to her! I think I've expressed my love a couple of times before. Indeed, in my world, no other place feels as good to me as home. Despite the lack of acreage, and extra rooms, I am so grateful for this little house we call home. Because of it, Bea probably has fewer than you would believe toddler friends, playdates, and excursions to playgrounds and classes. And her mother fares no better when considering extra curricula activities which lasso us from our space. We are homebodies and we (I) love being one.   

I'm going to try with real effort to offer little glimpses into these walls that contain my little family.  My home isn't really spectacular in anyway. We live in a 1940's cottage rental of about 900 square feet.  This place and her nooks have changed many times in the seven months we've lived here. I've hesitated blogging about them, because for me, the areas never seem complete. There's the incomplete hand-made goodies, the framed pictures not hung, and what not. Yes, what I'm showing you still has room for improvement. Such is life. But I also know that we're getting there and doing our best! 

We have no long term goal to stay here of course.  Yet, we still haven't found our forever home. Like I mentioned last week, we dream of one day having a farmhouse and a couple of acres in close proximity to wooded mountains. And while we hope our ideal existence is out there in our future, we do our best to enjoy the here and now as best as we can. This is where we are now.  I like to hope that these walls radiate just a bit of who we are, the love we share, and the story of our days with one another. To me, no other place feels quite as right. 

Oddly enough, I actually love having a "cozy" house with a young child. Bea's room is situated right next door to the kitchen. In fact, she has a bedroom door that opens to the kitchen. So even though our kitchen is small, it's quite easy for our activity to spill over to her room or the dining room.  

As a very general rule, we try to keep an overall tidy and uncluttered home. We're not perfect or obsessive, so yes, little piles of this and that no doubt accumulate every single day.  All of her things are placed on low shelves which she can easily reach. Though more and more these days, she loves a good challenge of getting to what she can't reach. "hmmm...let me see, if I push this stool to this chair, I can climb up here and get there and reach this..." Ingenuity...oftentimes the fun is in the challenge.  

I confess, my favorite corners are the ones we've carved out for our little babe. As she has grown and has become more and more an active participant to our days, these corners have become all the more vibrant and alive, soaking up her spirit and radiance, and reflecting them back upon us.  

Childhood in Our Home

To talk about what is now, I have to say a word about where we came from. When Bea first came home to us, like any parent, I was overwhelmed with hopes and dreams for this sweet, little soul. And like most of you out there reading, I wanted to provide her with the most nourishing, wholesome, and supportive start as possible. I entered parenthood with a strong knowledge base in the Montessori philosophy. Yet, I continued to search, to read, to untangle my intuition, training, and experience.  I truly wanted to provide Beatrix a real childhood in every way without the burden of choosing loyalty over one philosophy over another. My loyalty was now to her. My new goal was to provide an environment - one in which she responded to. I followed her lead. 

And so 19 months into parenthood, and everyday, I get to know Beatrix a little more intimately. Everyday, she reveals the person she is to become just a bit more to her proud and awe inspired mama. And I hope I'm doing her just an inkling of justice that she very much deserves. I've embraced so much of both Montessori and Waldorf philosophies. Both, I believe, have a tremendous amount of love and thoughtfulness to offer childhood and families. I love Waldorf's strong emphasis on seasonal, weekly, and daily rhythms and it's reverence for the natural world. I love Waldorf's beautiful aesthetic and it's dedication to preserving childhood. And I love, love the idea that less is more when it comes to toys and activities for children. I am ever so mindful of these Waldorf principles when thinking about Bea's spaces. I strive to provide her with a livelihood that is simple, lovely, and just enough...

Likewise, the Montessori philosophy really can be adapted to suit every child and can be applied in any environment. In fact, it's been reaffirming to observe her response to our environment and our way of life, since I'd never done the whole Montessori thing from the beginning! One doesn't need to have a large budget or home to provide a few simple means to allow the child freedom, independence, and participation.  Observe and trust your little one and you will discover that children find ways to serve their inherent drive to master their bodies and their environment. Each and every day, I witness Bea "contructing herself" - finding ways to serve her needs, whether or not I've provided the means to her end or not. Adamently, I stand with confidence when I say that a child's greatest asset is an observant and aware parent or caregiver.

There are many tenets of the Montessori philosophy which I truly do admire. I love it's emphasis on order (a place for everything and everything in its place), respect and careful handling of objects in the environment, incorporating the child into family activities, and creating an environment which honors and welcomes the child to live fully in it. Good common sense, right?  Notions that my mother and grandmother "knew" about raising children - despite their lack of formal education.

And so I'll stop chatting...take a look! 

Beatrix's Nooks

Bea has slept on this thin mattress since she was about 6 months old. She uses it for both naps and bedtime. And although we tried co-sleeping, Bea will not settle down in our bed. Our bed is for parties, didn't you know? We took this rebellious behavior as a cue that she likes her own space when sleeping. Very soon, she will be transitioning to a bigger, youth size trundle bed. Can't wait to see it in her room!

On the side of her bed is a basket of a few books. We also keep the larger books (which do not fit into the basket) on the playstands pictured below.  

We found these playstands on Craigslist last winter. She has a few simple art supplies and a handwashing set on one shelf. 

On the other shelf we keep a basket with a table cloth and place mats, another basket of doll clothes, and a few manipulatives that get rotated every couple of weeks or so.  

I just recently inherited this piece of furniture. I've admired it for as long as I can remember. It was my mom's table and chair set when she was Bea's age. It's in nearly immaculate shape, even after 60 years. And now, Bea will enjoy it and learn how to take good care of it too.  

And there's my mom (the little curly hair girl on the right) when she was about Bea's age. She's sitting with my great aunt Margie at this very same table. Mom's teddy (who is also still with us) is sitting guard...

And here is Bea, supervising the photo shoot, and taking notes at Granny's table. Behind her, are peg hooks at her height which hold silk scarves and her jacket.

I made this little bird mobile the winter before we adopted Bea. When she was a wee babe, we hung it right above her bed. Now it hangs higher and further away from her bed, but we still enjoy gazing at our little birdies when reading and singing lullabies at bedtime. 

This sweet wall hanging comes from a dear friend. She made it and gave it to Bea on her first birthday. Her daughter explained that Bea is the little girl in the middle. She is the little one on the right with the golden braids, and her sister (who is also Bea's age) is the little girl to the left. Indeed...Just maybe, one day these three girls will piece their own real quilt together.  

The busiest area of the home is our dining/kitchen area. Here, Bea helps us to sweep, cook, wash dishes, scrub the floor, dust, set the table, and make her own little kitchen creations. Her space is really quite simple. And well loved...

Bea's little kitchen is in the dining room, but tucked as close to the kitchen as possible. Much activity goes on here. We keep Bea's dishes here.  She has four wooden bowls, two enamel mugs, two drinking glasses, a wooden spoon, a tea kettle for her water, napkins, and clean up cloths. Her kitchen also holds her pots and pans. Her dirty napkins and cloths go into the basket. The bucket is one of her most valuable objects, I'm certain. I like to give her about an inch or two of water with a tiny bit of soap and she goes to town, scrubbing all sorts of surfaces around the house. All of the water usually ends up on the floor at some point, but I don't mind so much as we have no carpet and there's just a little bit of water in the bucket anyway.  I just consider it a mini-mop up which our house always needs anyway.  

We keep her broom and dustpan in the kitchen on a hook.  I really would like to move it next to Bea's play kitchen as all other important household things are there, but the husband says, "No more drilling holes in wall that aren't ours."  Grumph. It's a good thing Bea is resilient. She's adapted just fine to having the broom and dustpan away from the play kitchen and in the real kitchen. Mama, on the other hand, well that's another story...

And so, this is a big chunk of our small house. I might do another post showing you the living room and more of the dining room. It's a short house tour! 

 

 

The Weekend

We did some listening, singing, and dancing to this fabulous new album. 

We enjoyed some fresh air from our opened windows. 

And we made some important preparations for the big holiday coming up. 

Good times! 

Home Manager To Be

Okay, bare with me.  Bea' s my first child. So I can't compare her to my others. And yes, I'm a preschool teacher so I know a thing or two about little ones. But my expertise doesn't really begin until age 2.5. This is a series of photos I took of Bea this afternoon while I was making dinner. 

 


 
 

I'm beginning to feel a tad bit intimidated by her.  Look at her.  She's rolling out the pizza dough. We started the scene with mama doing the work and Bea watching from my back. Then she howled, "DOWN, DOWN!" I knew what was coming. She came down and we carried the yellow stool to the cabinet. And up she went. She took over. Don't you think she's good for 18 months?  Is this typical? Or am I nurturing some sort of homemaker prodigy? 

You should see her clean the walls, shovel dirt, bring folded laundry to appropriate bedrooms, etc. I've not forced a bit of this homemaking business onto her. Yet, she is intensely interested in imitating me day in and day out. She hasn't played with a toy in I can't remember how long. She's extremely sweet and dear to watch, but really, are all children this interested in homemaking?  

I'm thinking that in a year from now, she'll be able to take over my job of cleaning, cooking, gardening, sewing, and be better at it than I am.  She'll take charge and forge ahead with real assertiveness.  Not like her mama, who likes to dilly dally into the waters ever so slowly and carefully. 

Byron and I joke that next year, she'll be telling us what to do. Which is okay I guess, as long as she minds her manners. Manners are very important. 

I bet all of your kiddos are doing this or did this when they were Bea's age. I'm sure I just need to hang out with more mamas to know that Bea is totally normal.  

Weekend Happenings

We had a busy weekend full of outdoor activity and kitchen fun.  I had the camera with me so much and so tonight I uploaded what seemed to be hundreds of photos! I think the overcast skies had me itching to test out the new (to us) light outside. The white balance and saturation was so unusual compared to what I'm use to uploading. So many shots came out super, crazy saturated or bland and washed out.  I did a little touching up on Iphoto to lessen the harshness.  Just goes to show you that the light was indeed different this weekend. 

The photos below were actually taken in sun. As we arrived for a hike in Mayfield Park, the clouds broke and the sun came out. It was very humid and hot, but Bea didn't seem to notice. She had a great time perfecting her footing on the bumpy trails. She loved the challenge! It's so exciting to see the look of pride in her eyes and she conquers the challenges of growing up. The highlight of the hike for mama was when she found an acorn on the ground and decided to keep it in her pocket. Be still my heart. What a little girl she is - collecting things (like round little acorns) and putting them in her pocket! 

Mayfield Park is one of my favorite places to go in Austin. So much to see and explore right smack in the middle of the city. 

Yes, peacocks roam free throughout the park. Bea was intrigued but the peacocks weren't. 

This pretty stone wall surrounds an old farm house and a lush garden area that borders the trails. 

Check out her war wounds! Unfortunately, she's no stranger to mosquitoes! 

I think I'll hop my way down this portion! Ready...set...jump!
    

 

 

A transitional time of year indeed...As we begin to find the first of fallen acorns and such, the delights of summer are still very much with us.  Zinnias and basil make up this arrangement of local blooms!

   

We took a wonderful outing to another one of my most favorite places in Austin. Why, yes...I did have a great weekend! On the way there, we drove beside a pretty little pasture on a back road. There grazed a beautiful black cow and bull and a very handsome oatmeal colored horse. We pulled over to let Bea visit and say hi to them. The cow and the horse appreciated the sentiment. The bull, not so much. We abruptly aborted the scene when the bull began to stump his feet.  Sorry Mr. Bull, didn't mean to intrude! 

 

 
 

Scenes from the gardener. Bea now starts "oohhing" when we drive up into the parking lot. She knows she'll get to roam around the farm, exploring gravel pathways, petting donkeys, and talking to the goats and chickens. She took a three hour nap after the excursion. Can't beat a Natural Gardener adventure!  
 
 

While she napped, I got to work. Fall is really the most interesting time to garden in Texas. 
 
 

And when she woke, we got busy in the kitchen making applesauce and banana bread. The apple corer was very interesting to Bea,though a little frustrating, as she isn't quite ready to turn the handle all the way around. She found that moving the apples from bowl to colander, back and forth, to be more satisfying. Both the banana bread and applesauce turned out delicious! I know what we'll be snacking on all week. Yum, yum. 

I wish with all my heart that apple picking could be one of our fall "things to do" out here.  However, it's just not an easy dream to conquer here in Austin.  Although, Texas does have a few orchards. The closest ones to us are at least an hour and half away. Plus, apples are harvested in August out here.  Who wants to pick apples in 100 degree hot and humid weather?  Not I. I did manage to buy some local apples last week from our coop. They were plum size and okay in flavor. 

What a great weekend! I love productive days home with my family. When everyone is busy working, doing something, to help make our lives more enjoyable and beautiful. I can't tell you how heart warming it is to see Bea want to help out and be a part of our duties as much as she does. She's such a wonderfully sweet and ambitious worker. Plus, when she is engaged in this sort of challenging and meaningful work, she seems to forget that she's toddler and the tantrums practically seize to exist. A real win-win situation for everyone, don't you think?  

    

   

 
 

   

Two Years Ago

I just realized that it's been two years that I've been writing on this blog. Time flies. Today, Bea turns 18 months. Wow!  So pretty much six months to the day that this blog began, Bea was placed into our arms. Kind of strange. I guess I really was nesting and preparing for her even though I had no clue. 

I like to think that I've grown a bit in that time. As cliche as it sounds, having one's own child, stretches and expands one's thinking and way of life. It's surreal to think of adults, (both well and not-so-well functioning) and wonder about their early years. Every one of us was once a helpless, innocent, tiny infant. We were all toddlers and young children too - bursting with joy, energy, curiosity and love. Striving for independence and experimenting with will.  

How did we get from there to here? Which moments counted? What influenced the malleable molding of our beings? Childhood and the resilience of people is just fascinating to me.  

Still, sometimes I feel like such a fragile mama. So often, wondering. So often worrying. If I am doing the right thing. If I'm making the right choice. If I'm saying the right words. Am I doing long term harm? Will this moment (pleasant or not) resonate? Most of the time, I hope our moments do resonate. Sometimes, though, I hope she forgets her mama's poor reaction to a toddler's search for boundaries.  

In so many ways, this blog has helped me to maintain a healthy perspective on life. To remember that the only path to tread is my own path. Each one of us has different journey carved out for us. And each day is an opportunity to enjoy this one way trip.  Life is short. Days, weeks, and years trickle away quickly. I'm determined not to wish away a single step or stumble along the way.  

Simplicity in the Home

I've had the great pleasure of spending my last three Saturdays participating in a parent course, The First Four Years, held at the Austin Waldorf School. I enjoyed it immensely.  The presenter had a gentle, yet wise demeanor and I left each class refreshed and inspired to continue to improve upon this journey of parenting...

Since I'm an AMI Montessori guide, you may be wondering why Waldorf? Well, the more the years go by, the more time I spend with children, and the more I seek out what brings true peace and fulfillment to my own life, the more I wonder about the  necessity of an all-out Montessori environment. I mean really, if education for peace is really our goal, can that come about without baric tablets, or the addition snake game? My minimallist mindset is easily overwhelmed by the mounds of stuff that surrounds us (both figuratively and literally) all day,every day. Do we really need it? Can we use what we already have? What do children truly need to thrive? What does the human spirit need to develop compassion, curiosity, self confidence, joy? My intuition and my growing experience with children tell me not a whole lot...

I know Bea's needs will evolve has she grows, but right now, when I observe her at her most engaged, most peaceful moments, she is outdoors and/or with her mama who is present, calm, and content with her task at hand. She thrives when I thrive. It's astounding how easily she can mirror my mindset and quickly demonstrate back to me what I really look like. 

In our family, with this child, I've found that when I'm engaged in the practical life work, so is she. If my hands and body are idle, so is her mind. As a result, our days are full gardening, cleaning, sewing, and cooking. These tasks take longer with her around, but not doing them with her leaves us with a void of where to go from here? In her mind, what else is there to do? 

As such is the state of our home life, I've found myself done (for now) thinking about what sorts of toys or activities I should be purchasing for her. She doesn't play with toys. The most useful items to her are my most useful objects. The same objects that when mentioned to grandmothers and great grandmothers, have them nodding knowingly. Some of Bea's most prized household possessions of the moment include her little galvanized steel bucket, a sponge, a kitchen cloth, her child-size broom, her brush and dustpan, wooden spoons, measuring cups, her stroller, her dolly, a grocery bag, the sandbox, the galvanized steel foot tub, music, her basket of books, and (if she can get her hands on it) mama's sewing notions. 

Chicken Dress and Kitchen

Last week, during Bea's naps, I took to the task of making her this Oliver + S dress. It was my first time making her a piece of clothing that had this many pattern pieces. Up until now, I've been a big fan of jumpers and pinafores. Yikes, this pattern made me a bit nervous with 10 whole pieces (I later figured out that I didn't need all ten pieces).  Still, I traced and cut them out just in case I decide to make one of the alternate versions of the dress later on. It was my first attempt at gathering.  It wasn't quite as scary as I thought it would be. In the end, I'm sufficiently pleased with the dress.  I see lots of flaws in it that I'd rather not have. I need to practice getting the yoke and the sleeves to match up nicer as well as the yoke and the main back panel. But I did it - I overcame the fear of working with a real pattern. Perfect or not, it is indeed a dress, that Bea can wear, that her mama made for her!  

I think this little pattern has lots of potential.  I see lots of little blouses in fun prints (layered in the cooler months) and lots and lots of little dresses of linen, corduroy, and cotton.  

The two prints I used for this dress come from Joanne's as I wanted to use less expensive stuff for the first run.  Besides, the chicken print is one of Bea's favorites.  Anytime I have fabric scattered across the living room floor, she always gravitates towards it, drapes it around her neck, and prances around the house.  Chickens, it is, for my little bird lover!  

In addition to the dress making news, Bea and I received the most lovely of gifts. Yes, I'm as happy as she is!  I don't usually post much about "stuff" here, especially new stuff. Although sometimes, in all my giddiness, I'll post about thrifted goodies. However, today, I just can't resist. Let me show you Bea's new play kitchen.   

 

At the end of the school year, I borrowed The Natural Child's play kitchen for Bea to use over the summer. It's a fine wooden kitchen. We found it used on Craigslist, looking for a good home. It has served the children at The Natural Child well and we will use it again this year. Bea has spent hours playing with it both at school and at home. However, I knew that once the children returned to The Natural Child in the fall, Bea would still be left needing a play kitchen of her very own at home.  

Anticipating all of this, months ago, I shopped and shopped around on the internet until I found just the kitchen I wanted Bea to have. It wasn't until last week that I finally got around to ordering it. Today we received it. And, oh my. It's some kind of lovely. Do they make them in my size? Solid hardwood. Smooth, beautiful, warm, sturdy. She spent her entire waking moments (except for the hour in which she was whisked away to the pool), playing with this kitchen. Opening, closing, putting here, putting there, taking out, and moving over. Over and over all afternoon. I think this "toy" will be played with for years, and generations to come. The set of pots come from The Juniper Tree Store. They're enamel and have a wonderful weight to them. We are so happy with them as well!