Making garland with hand made beads Bead Stringing Cooking:  Mortar and Pestle, bread crumbs! Making ornaments with applesauce and cinnamon We rolled and rolled Finished!   (find the recipe here) The gift of crafts, doll making kit for the girls!  They are going to be so busy... Happy Winter!!!!

Re-posting what I wrote over at  Mommy Moment.  A timely re-share for the holiday season.  Happy Holidays! At our house, we have been practicing some gift receiving with one another.  I feel this is a valuable lesson with little children, so that they aren't corrected or prompted while they have the spotlight.  ”Say thank you.”….”Don’t be rude.”….”What do you say?”  Preparation is the key. To a child, its hard not to state the obvious when opening a gift…..”I already have this.”….”I’m too big for Elmo”…..”Clothes, again?!”   Children aren’t trying to be rude, they just know these things to be true;  so they say it.  Sometimes the side effect of many gifts comes in tossing gifts aside for a better one. Truthfully, at our birthdays, we wait until the party is over.  It gives us time to go over the gifts on our own schedule and write hand written thank you notes for each. Its more calm, and not so pos...

Good morning!  Today I'm sharing a list of books that I find myself reading and reading again.  Book selection and relevance is personal, but this is a book stack that rarely makes it off my nightstand and back on the shelf.  Montessorians are so careful what goes on the work shelves, but we must remember to keep ourselves refreshed by choosing quality books for OUR shelves.  There are endless books for parents, teachers, and Montessori enthusiasts Sunday Morning Reading 1.   The Absorbent Mind .  Every Winter and every Summer, I read the Absorbent Mind again.  EVERY time I find something new that speaks to me in the phase of my teaching at that time.  I have two copies: one to make notes all over, and one to reference and allow peers to borrow.  The copy I wrote in is almost a time capsule for me.  I keep seeing my old notes and remembering my first years.  I can see my own growth, it's valuable.  ...

This is the 2nd Holiday Faire at a local Waldorf School and the girls find it to be the exact kind of magical experience to jump start our holiday festivities.  There was no Santa, there was no gifts, no candy.  It was a lovely day, just our style!   It was the first time I was recognized by this blog, the Waldorf Mom and I had a good chuckle about our interests in another type of holistic education. :) Making Natural Centerpieces.  Sanding Bamboo, choosing fillers, adding tea lights. The sign outside of the Knome Cave.  Only children are allowed, but I hear that they saw FAIRIES! We spent an hour in here, eating lunch and snuggling.  Every playground needs a cozy place. Pony Rides! Getting a Candle Making Lesson Candle Dipping.  This took a very long time, but it was a great experience.  The concentration made me think about Practical Life, Waldorf-style. Enjoying the playground in my Nana's sweater...