Live Free

winter fair

It was a glorious weekend - all wet and dreary and now it's really cold, wet, and dreary. I love it. The house has been darkish all weekend with only the lights of the tree illuminating the living room and kitchen.  

Saturday, we ventured out to the Waldorf school for their winter fair. It was muddy (I still can't believe that I just wrote that) and wet.

Bea had a blast carrying our adult sized umbrella around and not dodging mud puddles even though she wasn't wearing rain boots. Oops. The festival was so much fun. We made a wood spinning top, a pom pom ornament, watched a puppet show, ate popcorn, and I scored a sweet red wool upcycled vest for Beatrix at a reasonable price. It's very cute. 

I love that school. It's too bad it's an hour away from us now that we've moved out of town and that one year of tuition cost more than both Byron and my total undergrad college tuition. 

 

 

Some new spaces for the little one.

First, let me say, that I feel really fortunate to be able to write about the little one's new work and play spaces. As a Montessori guide, over the last few years of my parenting journey, I've had to reconsile between my ideals and my reality in regards to our own creation of child friendly spaces for Beatrix. True, then and now, I know in my heart that what children need above all else, has very little to do with the look of their art shelf, playstands, or organic wool Waldorf dolls. I think so many of us know that their needs are much deeper than that. How simple yet humbling it is to realize that what they really need comes from within our very own souls -  that is, to be in the presence of someone worthy of imitating. Still, from my own perspective, an environment can not be ignored. An environment is a powerful influence. Being in the presence of beauty can certainly inspire energy and love for the world around us. 

Our previous homes were small - 800 square feet or less.  And though I admit to having a knack for organizing and using space wisely (my mom taught me well), I did eventually feel that we had maximized our living quarters to the best of our abilities.  Quite frankly, allowing Beatrix to choose, move, and work independently didn't always work perfectly in our well loved but tiny homes, because we were limited by space. This was fine. We have no regrets. Children are adaptive and forgiving. She is, I'm sure, all the better for it.  

Now, we have the space we need. It's not gigantic at all, but I must confess, this home seems luxurious in comparison. When we moved into our home last month, Beatrix's bedroom was the first room of the house I "completed". I love children's spaces. They can be so cheerful, bright, innocent, and timeless all at once. I've loved creating hers, tweaking it as she has grown. The majority of her belongings are either hand-me- downs or thrifted. I love the patchwork this piecemeal collecting has created. 

Also, I can not  write this post without talking about Beatrix's response to her little nooks in our home. Beatrix is fiercely independent. She absolutely thrives on being challenged to do things for herself.  From her earliest days, she has exhibited this force to care for herself and her environment. It has truly been an awakening for both Byron and myself - to watch her bloom. I know this statement sounds so generic, but it's so true! What a profoundly interesting notion to think as well: how much of a person is the result of nurture and how much is the result of their being  - their own spirit.  We'll never know with certain, but I find it hard to believe that we created this little person and her habits - her ways. My intuition tells me that she is in control. She is who she is and she has been the one in charge - creating herself. 

She is still very much the same child I've written about here and here. That is, who she was is who she is still.  If Beatrix has a task to do near Byron or I, she's a happy, content little one. She works and sings. She works and dances. She works and imagines. She works and plays. She flows. So throughout our home and our outdoor space, Byron and I strive to design our lives in a way that can include her. She is, afterall, so very capable and so very willing. 

Her bedroom is a place that she mostly sleeps in. Yes, she's slept in her own bed since she was six months old. It was her choice, not ours. We literally followed this child to her very own floor mattress! Lots of times, she'll take her toys to the living room or kitchen and play with them near wherever we are in the house. She'll play in her bedroom if we are near her, before or after sleeping, or with another friend!

The little art shelf near the kitchen mimics the art shelf at The Natural Child. Bea loves school. She loves the Montessori environment. She loves choosing her work and putting it away. It works very well for her. The Montessori environment speaks to her orderliness and independence. She feels empowered by the decision making.  As one can imagine, her little work shelf has been a real hit. Though basic in what it offers, I think it's just enough to inspire her. Right now, she can choose from cutting, drawing, water colors, and pasting. The bottom shelves also serve as the home to some of her play kitchen materials.   

Her play kitchen is also a much loved area. Though unless there is someone to play with her there, she usually prefers to participate in the real meal preparation and cooking as opposed to pretend kitchen play. Lately, she's been using her play kitchen as her work station. She'll grate cheese or chop vegetables there.  

Throughout our home, there are little accessories that we've added to help serve Beatrix's drive for independence and participation -  a good step stool in the bathroom, a coat hook at the front door, hooks for her broom, mop, and dustpan in the mud room, a low kitchen cabinet to place her dishes and napkins. These little adjustments make a world of difference to her sense of well-being. More than a bin full of  toys or the business of extra-curricula lessons, she discovers the world and thus discovers herself through meaningful work with her hands near the ones she loves and trusts the most. 

Oh, and if you haven't discoverd Pinterest. Please check it out.  It's an addictive source of inspiration to all of ones creative endeavors! I've had the most fun discovering and sharing with like minded folks there. Enjoy!!!  

St. John's Festival

June 24th was St. John's Day. Our Lifeways class celebrated by hosting a festival on the evening of the 23rd. St. John's Day is the birthday of St. John the Baptist, who was born six months before Jesus.  His birthday coincidentally falls very close to the Summer Solstice. Though it is unusual for the birthday of a saint to be celebrated, his is, due to his close connection to Jesus.  

"At a time when Nature rushes on, relentlessly pursuing her goal of fruiting and seedling, we are challenged by St. John to pause, reassess our intentions and the direction of our life.  He asks us to striaghten and balance the landscape of our soul.

The summer entices us into a fairyland of lazy, dreamy days, of sweet fruits and carefree living. ...If we are to avoid 'Midsummer Madness', we must not stray from the path that keeps our feet on solid ground."

All Year Round: Christian calendar of celebrations by Ann Druitt, Christian Fynes-Clinton, and Morije Rowling

St. John's Festivals traditionally have a fire component to them as fire is seen as a means of purification and it has the ability to transform substance. 

Since we are weathering exceptional drought conditions in our parts, we had to omit the bonfire from our festivities. Instead we hung fire paper crafts from the trees and lit candles that were safely sheltered in jars.

The evening was magical all the same.

 

Work and Play

Two posts in one day!  I know, I didn't post much last week. I wasn't feeling wordy, but now I am.   

I had planned to do some water color painting this morning with the little one.  But before we got started, she made it clear that painting was not what she had in mind for her morning work. Ahem. 

Well, then let's move on now shall we? And so, I backed off and continued to do the regular daily chores that needed tending. A little while later, we found ourselves in her room and she just went to town. For about an hour, she worked and played peacefully. I was able to do my own work while she did hers. When prompted, she even obliged and put away one activity before choosing another, which is something we've been working on.  

She's grown lots these days. I've noticed that more and more she likes her work. Oh, she still spends plenty of time in my feet and helping me with my chores. But she is also becoming more and more her own little person, with her own joys!  It's so very sweet to witness.  On her shelves right now, we have lacing shapes, stringing beads, lacing cheese, and Matroyska nesting dolls - all of what she adores! I also keep crayons, color pencils, paper, and playdough on the shelf for her to choose as she likes as well.  

Though she loves her work, she is also a real hoot to observe when she is engaged in imaginative play. Oh my, does she mirror her mama so acutely some days when it comes to taking care of Hazel and Dolly. "Heavy!" she exclaims as she lifts them to her chest! I don't know where she gets that from? Here, she is organizing a game of A Tisket A Tasket for the farm animals.  How cooperative of them to play so nicely in a circle! 

Today unfolded just as it should. She worked. I worked. We played. We listened to music. We read books. We snuggled in bed for a nap time.  When she wakes up, our evening routine will commence with some outdoor time spent visiting (chasing) the chickens, hanging out laundry and then dinner preparation.  

Ah, wow! I suppose we really do have a rhythm!

Note: I'm not sure how it happens, but Bea always seems to snag the room with the best light in the house. My word! No wonder, we've been migrating to her room more and more often. The light in there is fantastic. As you can see from the enormous amounts of photos in this post, for a little bit, my work became my camera. How I do love to chase good light!  

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! 

 

 

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.  

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. 

A New Nook

Over the course of the past ten months, our home's look has evolved quite a bit. It's fun to look through photos and to notice the gradual changes in function that have occurred in here as Bea has grown. From her hammock and sheepskins, and her activity gym and black and white  mobiles. Throughout each phase of her growth, the immediate tools to her development accompany her in the photos.  

It's been our biggest priority to be able to accommodate her needs in this way. Luckily, there's only a hand full of spots in our home that we prefer Beatrix not to adventure off too. And those spots or objects can be easily restricted or removed from her reach. Her normal routine consists of following us around the house to whatever room we are in and then playing or working happily in our feet.  She'll complain when she is hungry or tired, but otherwise, she enjoys her freedom lots - touching base with us to get hold and a hug and then continuing back to her work.  And of course, there's plenty of playing with Mommy and Daddy in between. The greatest aspect of living in this tiny home with a child has been that wherever she is, she is nearby. Indeed, the intimate space of our home has provided lots of comfort and security for her healthy development of independence.  

One of the most exciting evolutions of our abode has taken place in her bedroom quite recently. She now has play stands that I found off of Craigslist.  They are just beautiful in her room.  In fact, her room is my favorite space in our home - especially in the afternoon. The warmest glow reflects off the butter-hued walls. And now with her playstads - oh my. I think I'm going to like snuggling up in this nook as much as she will. 

Yes, the receptacle behind her has a cover which is normally on. Momma was messing around trying to charge up a battery.  

    

The Natural Child Learning Community

So, here it is.  Our little space. For our children. We worked really hard this summer and suffered bouts of guilt. Wondered if this was the right thing to do for little Bea. But in the end, I can't think of a lovelier surrounding for her to grow up in. Yes, she will be among others. But most importantly, she will be with me and we will be here and I am so happy about that. 

The children arrive on the 31st.  Until then, L and her two little ones and Beatrix and I like to hang out here because it's so darn sweet.  

We could not resist Ida Pearle's alphabet cards. They are absolutely gorgeous. Ida is really sweet too.  

For the child, the metal inset work is a special way to create beautiful, and even intricate design work. The guide knows that lots of good metal inset work also helps to develop the hand, which promotes muscular development needed for handwriting. 

The heart of any Montessori environment is the practical life area. This is where the activities needed for daily household chores and art activities are kept. Here, children can choose from a variety of tasks: dishwashing, painting, clay work, polishing objects such as wood, silver, and brass, plant care, flower arranging, and so much more. It's a lively area with a busy hum about it. 

Our Waldorf inspired play area. Because we know that creative/imaginative play is important as well. Children grow through purposeful activity.  It's our hope to provide an environment filled to the brim with purposeful actiivity. 

In the imaginative/creative play area, we decorated the wall with the beautiful and calming water color paintings by Ruth Elsaesser. We purchased them from Nova Natural. 

The mobile is placed in our infant area. Primarily, it provides a beautiful dance of color and shape for the babies while lying down. But also adds another level of beauty and calmness for all to appreciate. The framed black and white cards from Wee Gallery  will be rotated so that the babies have a variety of simple, yet beautiful images to admire. At home, Beatrix has had these cards attached to a wire mobile. She's spent hours laying underneath the black and white images excitedly watching as the animals drifted in and out of her view.  

The geometric solids introduce the scientific language of basic geometric shapes such as sphere, cube, ovoid, ellipsoid, cone, etc. Through games, children learn to feel the shape (without looking) and associate the name to it. They are challenged to find these shapes within the room, then within nature. Soon, they discover that these basic shapes are the foundation of nature's design. And indeed, our world is complex, yet simple!  

Where children come to reflect after working or playing. Our quiet corner is a place to snuggle up with a good book or to listen to classical, jazz, folk, (and perhaps some Beatles or Johnny Cash thrown in there - the possibilities are endless!) It can also be a place where the child can choose to do nothing. Just, sit and watch, and take it all in!  

I hope to post more about our space as time moves forward. We have so many ideas on how to insure that this place truly becomes a home away from home for little children. A place where children are allowed to slow down, to be present, to blossom into the people they were meant to be, where they can discover beauty within themselves, others,  and in the world around them. Thank you for stopping by!