Chinese New Year

Happy New Year!

It has been an insanely busy week full of celebrations, and today was no exception.  Sort of at the last minute (which for me was several days ago, but that doesn't leave much time for making good plans) I decided to go ahead and celebrate Chinese New Year with the kids.  No, we are not Chinese, but it's always fun to borrow traditions.

It is the year of the Rabbit, hence the Happy New Year message my kids found on the blackboard this morning (quickly scribbled before breakfast).  After breakfast, we started the day by hanging strings of little rice paper kites around the dining room, which tends to be the central place for celebrations.  Not exactly New Year's decorations, but a friend of my Dad's brought them back form Hong Kong and the kids were excited to see them strung up.

Then we moved right into making lanterns.  Super easy to make.



Choose two colors of paper.  Fold one in half, and along
the folded edge mark some lines about 3/4" apart.  Cut along
the lines, but be sure to stop where the line does.  This
is great cutting practice for young children.



Roll the second sheet into a cylinder.  Hold the paper
horizontally for this.  Staple, glue, or tape it to keep it closed.
This is the inside of the lantern.



Now staple, glue, or tape the second sheet around the first,
about 3/4" from the top and bottom edges. 



Punch three holes around the top, string it, tie a knot
at the ends of the strings, and parade it around!  It's fun
to make lots of little lanterns and hang them all around, too.



After we finished the lanterns, we read a story from Moonbeams,Dumplings, & Dragon Boats, a wonderful resource for several Chinese holidays.  It's full of stories, activities, and recipes.

We made fresh spring rolls for lunch, which are always a favorite.  It is tradition to eat long noodles on the New Year to ensure a long life.  We just decided to put ours inside yummy, little rolls.  I learned how to make these while working during graduate school at a little restaurant that served food from all over Asia.  Now, I make them for parties or even just as a snack or lunch.  You can put pretty much anything in them you like; tofu, any thinly sliced veggie, noodles, lettuce, herbs.  Here's how we made ours.



Get your fillings ready first.  Veggies should be julliened, noodles cooked,
and herbs washed and chopped.  We use rice vermicelli, cilantro,
scallions, lettuce, and cucumbers in ours.  I usually stick in some tofu,
but we were all out.



Here's teh rice wrapper going into a bowl of warm water.  It
only needs to be in there for a few seconds, just until if softens up,
or it will easily tear.  As you can see, it's really thin and delicate. 
Once you get it back out of the bowl, spread it on a clean dish towel,
gently pat it, flip it over, and pat it again.  If it's too wet, it'll be slippery
and won't stick to itself once it's filled.



Make a small pile near the edge of the roll.  My rolls are cone shaped
and open at one end.  For some, it's easier to dump the filling in
the middle and roll it burrito-style, with both ends closed.



Roll it firmly, but gently, around itself to make a cone.  Make
sure it's tight enough that the filing doesn't just fall out.  This
takes some practice.



It should look something like this. 



We served them with tamari and a yummy sesame/almond
dipping sauce, for which the recipe follows.  So good!



For the dipping sauce, I used the sauce from the Karen's Sesame Noodles recipe in Feeding the Whole Family.  It is as follows:

3 Tablespoons tahini

1 Tablespoon almond or chashew butter

1 Teaspoon maple syrup

2 Tablespoons brown rice vinegar

2 Tablespoons tamari or shoyu (or soy sauce if that's what you    have)

1 Teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 Tablespoon water

Whisk it all together in a bowl until it's creamy.  That's it!

Regarding the Imbloc/Candlemas Post

Hello!

After I published my last post, I noticed that the pictures for the St. Brigid's Cross were out of sequence.  I had been having problems with the website.  I have corrected the post, however, and they're now in proper order.  Sorry for any confusion! 

Oh, and that darn Groundhog predicted an early spring today.  Shows what he knows!  Apparently he is oblivious to the eight foot snowbank in the front of my yard!

Imbolc and Candlemas

St. Brigid's Cross

As difficult as it is, under these piles of snow, to imagine Spring on its way, that is what this special day is about in many ways.  As with many holidays during the winter season, light and its warm return are the themes here.  It is considered by many to be the first day of Spring.  It is a time in darker days for life to come back from underground into the increasing light and warmth of the sun.  Ewes are getting ready for lambing, snowdrops are blooming, and we are refreshing our dwellings with spring cleaning and organizing.

Imbolc is a pagan tradition to honor the Goddess, Brigid, who is slowly turning the Wheel of the Year back to Spring.  There are many stories of Brigid (or St. Brigid after the Church re-named her), most of them featuring her as a bride to be married to the Sun God. 

Here is a children's story for Imbolc by Starhawk (via PaganDad.com).  It's a sweet little story of kindness and one's own inner light.  In this Christian version, St. Brigid is a girl who becomes nun to be closer to God.  It's pretty short and to the point.  There's a really interesting article here about the overlap of Candlemas, Imbolc, St. Brigid, and Groundhog Day.

St. Brigid crosses (like the one pictured above)are a traditional craft for this holiday.  We made one last night out of straw.  They are symbolic of the turning Wheel of the Year.  Here is a little tutorial on how we made it.



Soak your straw in warm-ish water for about an hour.
This will make it more pliable when you bend it.



Cross a second piece over the middle of the first.



Bend the second piece around in half, enveloping
the first piece of straw.  Then fold the first one in half
as well.



Add a third piece of straw, folded around the second.



Fold the fourth pice around the third.  This is what it should look like
when you have four pieces.  Now you're going to repeat several more times
going around in the same order.



Almost done!  When you've done your last piece and it
looks about the size you want it, tuck the ends of the last
folded piece through the fold of the previous piece so
you won't have any loose ends.



Tie off the ends with string, trim uneven straw ends, and make
a loop for hanging!

 This is a fun little ritual to do with the kids to usher in the spring.  (Found on this site)

Prepare a collection of things to make noise with -- bells, clappers, drums, etc. Make sure each person has one form of noisemaker. You'll also need a candle in the color of your choice (tall enough to stick in the snow), something to light it with (like a lighter or matches), and a bowl.



1. Go outside, and create a symbol of spring in the snow. You could draw a picture of the sun or some flowers, rabbits, anything that means spring to your family. If you have a lot of space, feel free to make it as big as you like. Another option is to have each person make their own symbol in the snow.
   One family member calls out:Old man winter, it's time to go!
   Take with you these piles of snow!
2. The other family members stomp around the symbol in a circle through the snow, banging their drums, ringing their bells, and chanting:Melt, snow, melt!
   Spring will soon return! Light the candle, and place it in the center of the circle. Say:A flame, a fire, all the warmth it brings,
   melt the snow, cold be gone, welcome back the spring!The rest of the family stomps through the snow once more, in a circle, making lots of noise and chanting:Melt, snow, melt!
   Spring will soon return!
3. Leave the candle to burn out on its own. Fill your bowl with snow and take it back inside with you. Place it in the center of your table and eat your meal. By the time you're done, the snow should be close to melted (if you have to, put it near the stove to hurry things along).
   Hold up the bowl, and say:
   The snow has melted! Spring will return!

This is a good framework for an Imbolc celebration.  It would be very easy to customize the chants to your liking, perhaps making them a little more lyrical.

With light comes shadow (just ask that groundhog) so now would also be a great time for shadow puppetry!  This can be as simple and a flashlight or lighted candle as a light source and hands making the shapes on a wall or suspended sheet.  You could also use shadow puppets and put on a play of your favorite story.  Here are some instructions for making your own shadow puppet theater!


Candlemas, the Christian based holiday, is traditionally the day that all the candles in the church are blessed for the year.  Candle making is an obvious craft of choice here.  We rolled our own beeswax candles with colored beeswax sheets.  This is a good alternative to dipping candles when you're working with very young children.  And it's so easy most can do it almost on their own.



All you need are some beeswax sheets and the proper wick.
We got our kit from A Toy Garden.  Their link is in the resource list
at the bottom of the blog.



Cut your wick so it hangs over each end about 1/2".  Then press
it near the edge of the sheet.  Room temperature wax works best.
Our house was a little chilly, so we placed the sheet on the
radiator cover for a minute or so to make sure it
wouldn't crack when we rolled it.

Roll it.

Roll it some more.  When it's all rolled up, gently press down the
outer edge into the body of the candle to keep it from unrolling.

Gently press the top of the candle around the wick to ensure
even burning.  Trim excess wick at the other end.



Voila!  A Candle!



 Happy Imbolc/Candlemas/St. Brigid's Day/Groundhog Day !  (Phew!)  Spring is on the way!









 









Development, Readiness, and the Tooth Fairy

Recently, my daughter's second teeth have begun coming in and there is a great deal of excitement about this developmental milestone.

In Waldorf education, this is a significant step towards academic readiness.  Children typically enter first grade at the age of seven, when most children are beginning to lose their teeth.  Obviously, the growth of new permanent teeth alone does not mean a child is ready for first grade.  There are other things as well.  These include the ability to tie one's own shoes, care for oneself by buttoning and zipping clothes, getting washed, etc.  Being able to walk a low balance beam, throw and catch a ball, skip, and hop on one foot. A child should be able to sit for a longer period of time and be able to focus on the given activity.  She should also be able to track a line of text from left to right, even though she is not expected to be able to read the text.

I feel like I need to say a few things about these skills and what we expect of children.  As I said, these are some of the things a Waldorf teacher looks for in a child who will be entering first grade.  At the age of seven.  I used to be a public school Kindergarten teacher, and most of these were things we looked for in children who were entering Kindergarten.  At the age of  five.  We are expecting more and more of our young children and when they don't deliver, they are often diagnosed, labeled, or otherwise considered challenged.  But I digress, that will have to be a post for another day.

So what do you do when you're in a situation, like myself, when the child is young, but showing all the signs of readiness and more?  My dear girl is still a young five, but looks about seven.  She reads, writes, is wonderfully athletic and artistic, and loves to learn.  But she is five.  She has the emotional and spiritual needs of a five year old.  If she were to attend a school of any sort this might cause some issues. 

However, I am in the fortunate position of being able to homeschool.  I can be as flexible as I want.  So yes, we do some first grade work, modified to her needs and abilities, and we spend most of the day doing other kindergarten things.  Playing, singing, cooking, making art.  Remember when kindergarten used to include those things?  In most places, it doesn't anymore.  The public school children where I live don't have art or music in kindergarten, and only have Physical Education once every couple of weeks.  Not to mention a long school day with little or no recess.

I guess what I'm saying is that we need to honor the developmental stage our children are in, whether they are behind, ahead of, or right on the typical schedule.  Celebrate the changes when they come, but don't push them to get there.  They do grow up too fast after all.

So, for now, we're getting ready for a visit from the tooth fairy.  I'm sure she'll be visiting in a couple of weeks.  I wonder what she'll leave?  There are so many wonderful ideas I have found for little tooth fairy gifts.  All simple, but sweet.  A little more meaningful than just slipping some money under the pillow.  (Besides, you wouldn't believe the exchange rate for teeth these days!  Yikes!)

Here are some of the things I have found.  First, a little poem/story about what the tooth fairy does with the teeth she finds.  I found this poem on several sites, and I can't find who the original author is, so my apologies and not giving him/her credit.

 This night it is a special night
As fairies dance upon the roof.
All the fairies must alight,
For _______ just lost a tooth!

The Fairy Queen gives her commands-
Twelve bright fairies must join hands
Then together in a circle stands
To guard _____ while s/he sleeps.

The Tooth Fairy into the circle leaps
The hidden tooth she takes
Ah, but has far to go
Before ______ awakes.

Three times around the world she flies
Over valleys deep and mountains high;
Skirts the storm clouds thick with thunder,
Wings over waves all wild with wonder.

Deep within their earthly homes
Finally she finds the gnomes,
Who upon the tooth must work
Never once their duty shirk.

Some are hammering, hammering, hammering,
Some the bellows blow
Others sweat at the sweltering forge
And then cry out, "Heigh Ho!"

The tooth's been turned to a shining stone,
A glimmering, glowing gem
The tooth Fairy takes the gnomes' good gift,
And bows (curtsies) to all of them.
Before the sun's first rays are shown,
She returns to _____’s bed,
And then - - - away she's flown!

This of course, would make it only natural to leave some sort of gem or crystal as a ittle gift.  I have also heard of people leaving one gemstone bead for each tooth lost.  Eventually, when they have all been exchanged, all the beads are left for the tooth fairy to collect and they are returned the next day, all strung together into a little bracelet. 

If you don't like to break with the tradition of leaving coins, there are a few neat options.  I have heard of someone leaving  coins from around the world, showing where the tooth fairy has been.  My husband came across these beautiful Tooth Fairy coins, which you'd have to purchase, but are really pretty cool.  Here is a different site with beautiful Tooth Fairy coins.

Here is a site with all sorts of special tooth fairy gifts.  I prefer to make my own, even if my children don't know they're from me, it makes them a little more special.  But you can get some really good ideas from looking around.  Have fun!

Got Stuff?

It is preoccuation with possessions, more than anything else,

that prevents us from living freely and nobly.

~ Thoreau

It's the time of year when many of us are working on New Year's resolutions.  A topic I have encountered many times recently is that of materialism, clutter, and trying to live more simply.

For some of us, cleaning and getting rid of things we don't use is an easy and emotionally satisfying activity.  For others, it can be overwhelming and entirely traumatic.  We tend to get attached to our "things" and when they hold, or once held, meaning for us it is difficult to part with them.  Or perhaps the environmentalist in us keeps things with the intent of re-using or upcycling them, saying to ourselves, "Perhaps someday, I'll find a use for this" and then it gets packed away and more often than not, forgotten about.

Before you know it, there are boxes piled up in your attic/basement/closets/living spaces and you don't even know what their contents are.  So where do you begin?  How can you even begin to tackle the sorting out of your belongings?

I think it's really important to do some serious self-reflection about why we save/purchase things in the first place.  Identify where all this stuff came from in the first place!  Then you can stop making excuses and take some steps to simplify at least that part of your life.

"But I'm an environmentalist, and everything can be re-used, recycled, or upcycled.  I hate to just send something to the landfill."  Listen, I'm an enivronmentalist too.  That doesn't mean I'm going to turn my own home into an indoor landfill.  Saving something because it "might" be of use later is a lovely idea, but perhaps it could be of use to someone now!  Post it on Craig's List, Free Cycle, or sell it on EBay.  Have a yard sale.  Donate it to Goodwill or Salvation Army, or some other charity.  (Most of those places will even come to your house to pick your donations up!)  Unless it is truly just junk.  Then you need to get rid of it.  Seriously.  Stick it in the recycling bin.

"But it was so inexpensive!  And look, I got five of them!"  Good for you.  Thanks for keeping the ecomomy afloat like a good American.  Now where are you going to put it/them?  Oh, wait, you have no room in your closet/shelves/drawers?  Just because it's cheap, doesn't mean you need it.  And beware of buying some things in bulk.  Sure, you'll use up those thirty rolls of toilet paper, but do you really need a ten pound bag of walnuts?  Unless you're feeding hoardes of squirrels, they'll go bad before you can eat them. 

"But it really was so inexpensive!"  The same thing goes for yard sales, thrift shops, and discount stores, folks.  Just because you can doesn't mean you should.  If you wouldn't bother to save up money and purchase it down the road, then you probably don't need it in the first place.  Control yourself.  And let your children see you control your purchasing impulses.  They might learn something about saving up for things they really want and how not to fall for instant gratification.

"But I can't throw that away!  It has sentimental value!"  This can be tricky, and gets back to our emotional attachment to objects.  Seeing something special reminds us of a certain time/place/feeling, and it's nice to relive those special moments.  This is especially true of our children's items.  That little lock of hair from their first haircut, the first tooth they lost etc.  Things like these are special and are treasures to share when they grow up.  But let's face it, most of the junk we keep is just junk.  Let yourself have one small trunk to keep your own personal treasures in (maybe one for each member of your family?) and keep to that limit.  I have one that I keep my old horse show trophies and varsity letters in, along with my old yearbook.  That kind of thing.  An broken old waffle iron, for example, does not fit into the sentimental value category, even if your dear old mother did make the best waffles in the world with it.

So you get the idea.  Redefine for yourself what "want" and "need" really mean.  Make yourself a list, if you have to, of things you want to get this year and things you'll need to get.

Now here's a situation you can't control too much, but you can at least set some guidelines:  receiving gifts.  Especially for your children.  This can be tricky, as we're all hesitant to potentially offend anyone.  This is a great way to cut down on incoming clutter and items that might not fit your ideals.  Before my kids' birthdays and Christmas, I usually send out an e-mail with the kids' wish list.  Much of our family lives far away and don't know what they have already, so it can be helpful to have some suggestions.  I have also addressed our reasons behind some of their choices:  we're concerned about the safety and environmental impact of plastic and battery operated toys and they don't fit in with our Waldorf lifestyle and the children's education.  Some other ideas include asking for "donations" to fund lessons or special activities, or setting a limit on the number of gifts per child.  I only have two kids, but let me tell you, the stuff adds up pretty quickly on Christmas morning!  Simply explaining that fewer presents doesn't mean being less thoughtful can do the trick.

So then what?  Take it room by room, one at a time.  It's usually best to do this with out the kids, at least for rooms other than theirs.  Really take apart your room, make piles for donation, to sell, and to keep.  Remember not to just shove the "keep" stuff back into boxes.  If you can't have it out where you will use it, you're not likely to use it at all.

Get the kids involved in gutting out their own rooms.  My three and five year olds are familiar with the practice of going through their belongings and making a pile of toys or clothes to donate.  In fact, my five year old will come to me on her own now with things she no longer needs and would like to donate.

Some people put boxes of toys that can't (or won't) be parted with in temporary storage and rotate them out every couple of months.  While this is not a bad idea, I think it's important to ask if a child needs so many toys that some of them have to be stored.  Personally, I'm slightly horrified that my kids even have a playroom, as small as it is.

So pull it together, people!  When in doubt throw it out!  (My mother used to say that all the time when I was a kid.  I think I inherited her clean gene.)  While you clear out that physical baggage, you'll be surprised how much of a psychological burden is lifted too.  You'll have room to breathe, and room to live in your living spaces!  You'll finally be able to start (or finish) projects, and actually enjoy the things that you have.

Here are some helpful resources for organizing your home and living more simply in general:

http://www.simplicityparenting.com/

http://flylady.net/pages/welcome_main.asp

http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/index.html

http://zenhabits.net/25-ways-to-simplify-your-life-with-kids/

As a very serious note here, some people actually do have issues that go beyond simply being disorganized and keeping a few too many things.  Hoarding is characterized by severe cluttering of a person's home so that it is no longer able to function as a viable living space.  If this sounds like you, look here for help.



Any so-called material thing that you want is merely a symbol: you want it not for itself, but because it will content your spirit for the moment. ~Mark Twain

Out with the Old and In with the New

The New Year has arrived and with it, endless possibilities.  Tomorrow begins our first day back at school, and we're trying some new things.  First, you should know that while we do follow a Waldorf curriculum, I'm not a purist. A ninety-eight-percent-ist maybe.  But the beauty of homeschooling is being able to tailor your child's education to his or her needs, no matter what pedagogy you follow.  Therefore, we are beginning some Waldorf Grade 1 work with my five year old.  (insert gasps of horror here from those who are purists)

We are starting a two week block of Form Drawing.  This is typically how the first grade year in a Waldorf school begins.  It is taught before and literacy, math or art skills, and incorporates elements of each.

My DD (dear daughter), however, was an early reader and already has a pretty firm grasp of the alphabet, phonics, and writing skills.  Why bother with Form Drawing then?  Because: A)  It won't hurt to take a small step back to educate her will a bit.  (For more about Form Drawing and the will, look here or here)  B) It will certainly improve her handwriting, which admittedly is pretty good already.  And C) I have seen her produce many of the repeating forms on her own in her drawings and paintings.  She is ready.  And in my opinion, as a parent and trained teacher, when a child is ready, you jump right on board, even if where they are developmentally or academically is not where a typical student (Waldorf or otherwise) is.

There is some excitement building around this new beginning.  We are awaiting the arrival of our large free-standing blackboard.  It'll feel much more school-y around here with a great big blackboard!  And she gets to use her first Main Lesson Book.  I have no doubt whatsoever that she is going to love this. 

We're also going to begin some math games during our Circle Time in the morning.  We'll start with some counting rhymes (like that good old "One two, buckle my shoe"), then move onto some even adding and odd adding rhymes and games.  Again, some of these activities might be seem a bit redundant as she has been counting and adding (and subtracting) small numbers for quite a while.  However, my three year old, who joins us for just about everything lest he feel left out, will benefit greatly from listening and moving with us.  He's great at remembering songs and verses, and by the time he's ready for math, they'll just be in that smart, little brain already.

Here's to an exciting new school year!



So Much Advent and Christmas!

The fourth light of Advent is the light of Humankind

The light of hope that we may learn to love and understand.

~ R. Steiner

So much to do!  So much to do!  Unfortunately,no matter how laid back I try to be about the holidays this week, that seems to be my mantra.  My tasks are not unpleasant, just a little too plentiful!

As we finish our last week of Advent, we are adding human figures to our nativity.  We started with the shepherd and now have two of the Three Kings.  Instead of adding the Three Kings to the scene immediately, they are at a far end of the table, for they have not yet begun their journey to bring their gifts to the Christmas Child.  They will be moving closer each day after Christmas until they arrive on January sixth.  See?  I might not be a religious person, but I've at least done my reading!  It's all in the spirit of keeping it in line with the story.

the shepherd joins his flock on the right

Speaking of stories, we did a little puppet play for one of our Christmas songs yesterday morning during circle time.  That old song, "Do You Hear What I Hear?" is such a nice little story and perfect for acting out with a few little dolls and simple props.  The kids thought it was great fun to sing the different parts and move the dolls accordingly.  We used one of the kings and the shepherd from the nativity, along with a cut out paper star with a "golden" tail.  The kings palace and throne were comprised of several plain wooden blocks.

Said the Night Wind to the Little Lamb, "Do you hear what I hear?"

Another nice little activity we've been doing ties in with the story of Mary's Journey.  Mary is up in the heavens gathering silver and golden threads to weave a shift for her baby.  She is wondering if she will finish it in time for the arrival of the baby.  But all ends well, because the children of the earth are doing good deeds.  The children's angels carry news of these deeds to the heavens where new threads are created in a quantity sufficient to complete the garment just in time.  (I was not able to find this story on line to link to, though I'm sure there must be one out there somewhere. The one I have is in our Live Ed curriculum.  Sorry!)

As much as I don't like to admit it, my kids have needed a few more reminders than usual to mind their actions towards one another this week.  So each time they do a good deed by sharing, using kind and loving words, or helping someone, I write their deed on a little paper star with a "golden" thread hanging from it.  The star then gets hung up around a door frame for all to see and to remind them of their good behavior.  I'm happy to say that the door frame is getting quite full of stars!

Tonight we're getting ready to walk our Solstice Spiral.  Many people kick off Advent with a walk in the Advent Spiral, but the appropriateness of walking the spiral on the actual Solstice made more sense, especially with our more nature-based approach to Advent and Christmas.  I believe there's a link to an explanation of the Advent spiral in my first Advent post.  We're taking a less solemn approach to our Spiral walk, and the children will be singing "This Little Light of Mine" as they walk in and out. (We'll be leaving out the Jesus and Satan parts, thank you!)

Lastly, in preparation for Winter, we stripped our nature table of Autumn items and set the scene for the new season.  Our nature table has three tiers, so we took a new approach this season.  Our lower tier represents the underground, where the gnomes are busy at work making and mining crystals, gems, and precious metals.  The middle tier is the surface of the earth, covered with snow (a white silk).  We will be adding King Winter to this part of the scene at a later date (as in when I finish making him!).  The top tier is for the heavens, where the Snow Queen sits on a soft cloud of white wool and makes the snow fall.  We had two little crystal prisms which we hung from this tier to represent sparkly snowflakes and ice.  The effect is quite charming, and the kids thought it was delightful to create.  They especially loved adding special stones and geodes for the gnomes.

our winter nature table

Since I most likely won't get a chance to write again until after Christmas, have a joyous holiday season with your families and love ones!