We'll I have tried so many times to fix an odd issue with this blog. Shomehow I hit a limit with my photo space, so I stopped blogging. I really miss keeping a record of our lives and sharing with everyone. I have created a new blog. This one will still be here as an archive. Please consider visiting us over at
Many blessings,
Meaghan
Tuesday, 3 September 2013
Thursday, 13 June 2013
Learning all the time
Oh it has been so long since I've posted. Life is just too busy for me to figure out my photo uploading issue. I'll most likely start a new blog in the fall and start over fresh...
This post is more for myself and anyone else with young children who sometimes feel they should be 'doing' more with their kids. You may not agree and that is okay.
So today I had the feeling that I just wasn't doing enough with my boys. You see my boys are 3 and 5. We are a Waldorf inspired homeschooling family. I also have a home daycare. On a given day there are anywhere between 2-5 other children joining us. So today was one of my slower days with just 2 babies and my boys. I guess the "quiet" got me thinking, worrying...
I decided to write down all the things we did and learned today. It is not well organized but here you go:
Nature study: watching worms and moving them safetly off the path in the forrest.
Playing in mud, learning about the suction power of a good mud puddle. Enjoying a beautiful rainy walk. Observing and wondering who was eating our rhubarb leaves. Checking on our vegetable gardens.
Science:
observing puddles, how a moving bicycle wheel can make the water move and spray
Physical Education: Walking, rope swing, bicycles, trampoline, running, carrying loads. These were the more active activities. We also played in the sand box, drive the ride-on tractor all over the place, played with fine motor toys at the Early Years Centre.
Math: Counting along with songs, TJ counted all the eggs and discovered how many were left after he made his snack, made up more math problems with the eggs. MJ tried counting numbers on the clock. At the Early Years Centre the boys sorted all the coloured bears into bowls, TJ also completed several pattern cards using coloured bugs on his own.
Child care: how to play safetly with babies, learned about separation anxiety and how to help a baby deal with that, comfort them.
Faith: awesome prayers and thanksgiving today
Art: The boys sat for ages and made collages completely on their own, playdough, painting
Language: read lots of stories, made up oral stories, retelling of events in TV show, singing
Mechanics: learned about sawmills (Might Machines) and retold lots of details, 'helped; daddy fix his motercycle.
Home economics: boys loaded and sorted laundry, TJ thought up to sweep the kitchen on his own to keep down the mess, TJ washed windows outside with the car snow brush. They helped to pick out food at the grocery store. TJ decided what to make for his snack and completely made his own scrambled eggs. He also helped prepare dinner too.
Imaginative play: TJ spent his entire time at the Early Years Centre dressed as a giant caterpillar! The boys played tractors and trains. Their dog toys dressed up in rain coats to play outside. Their special bed friends came along and 'talked' all day with us.
Social skills: greeting daycare parents, navigating the day with children of various ages, communicating well with volunteers at the Early Years Centre, sharing, problem solving, resolving conflicts and apologizing.
Oh I'm sure there was so much more going on today that I didn't pick up on. Every day I am amazed and overwhelmed by something my children are doing. I am so blessed to spend my time with them and their friends. We have a lot of fun together and they have helped me to grow personally so much. We are also very blessed to live in our natural location too.
Can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring...
This post is more for myself and anyone else with young children who sometimes feel they should be 'doing' more with their kids. You may not agree and that is okay.
So today I had the feeling that I just wasn't doing enough with my boys. You see my boys are 3 and 5. We are a Waldorf inspired homeschooling family. I also have a home daycare. On a given day there are anywhere between 2-5 other children joining us. So today was one of my slower days with just 2 babies and my boys. I guess the "quiet" got me thinking, worrying...
I decided to write down all the things we did and learned today. It is not well organized but here you go:
Nature study: watching worms and moving them safetly off the path in the forrest.
Playing in mud, learning about the suction power of a good mud puddle. Enjoying a beautiful rainy walk. Observing and wondering who was eating our rhubarb leaves. Checking on our vegetable gardens.
Science:
observing puddles, how a moving bicycle wheel can make the water move and spray
Physical Education: Walking, rope swing, bicycles, trampoline, running, carrying loads. These were the more active activities. We also played in the sand box, drive the ride-on tractor all over the place, played with fine motor toys at the Early Years Centre.
Math: Counting along with songs, TJ counted all the eggs and discovered how many were left after he made his snack, made up more math problems with the eggs. MJ tried counting numbers on the clock. At the Early Years Centre the boys sorted all the coloured bears into bowls, TJ also completed several pattern cards using coloured bugs on his own.
Child care: how to play safetly with babies, learned about separation anxiety and how to help a baby deal with that, comfort them.
Faith: awesome prayers and thanksgiving today
Art: The boys sat for ages and made collages completely on their own, playdough, painting
Language: read lots of stories, made up oral stories, retelling of events in TV show, singing
Mechanics: learned about sawmills (Might Machines) and retold lots of details, 'helped; daddy fix his motercycle.
Home economics: boys loaded and sorted laundry, TJ thought up to sweep the kitchen on his own to keep down the mess, TJ washed windows outside with the car snow brush. They helped to pick out food at the grocery store. TJ decided what to make for his snack and completely made his own scrambled eggs. He also helped prepare dinner too.
Imaginative play: TJ spent his entire time at the Early Years Centre dressed as a giant caterpillar! The boys played tractors and trains. Their dog toys dressed up in rain coats to play outside. Their special bed friends came along and 'talked' all day with us.
Social skills: greeting daycare parents, navigating the day with children of various ages, communicating well with volunteers at the Early Years Centre, sharing, problem solving, resolving conflicts and apologizing.
Oh I'm sure there was so much more going on today that I didn't pick up on. Every day I am amazed and overwhelmed by something my children are doing. I am so blessed to spend my time with them and their friends. We have a lot of fun together and they have helped me to grow personally so much. We are also very blessed to live in our natural location too.
Can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring...
Saturday, 16 March 2013
Dear Weary Mom
Dear Weary Mom,
You have been on my mind for a while now. I have been thinking about what to write you for two days now. I haven't blogged in months because I am having issues loading photos. Tonight the Lord brought me to the end of myself so that I could share how "Hope for the Weary Mom" has made such a difference in my life.
I will not go into details of what is making me weary. You know. You are there too. It could be financial, relationships, children, a season of life, too much on the go, or a combination of many things that has brought you to this weary place. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!! This was one of the most powerful things that hit me and made a difference when I did this study (twice now). I have God with me always and hundreds, probably millions, of other weary moms going through the exact same things I am.
Tonight I was making homemade yogurt after a fail attempt last weekend. Let's just say that using a Canadian thermometer and and American recipe meant I was trying for hours to get my milk hotter than it could and ruined another batch of rather hard to find and expensive ingredients (for where I live). That was what threw me over the edge. I burst into tears and collapsed on the couch. My poor young boys tried to cheer me up. My older son (4.5years old) offered some encouraging words of not giving up and trying again. My younger son (2.5years old) brought me a toy and a drink of water. After a not so kindly worded reminder even helped get ready for bed.
While I was flaked out on the couch (really it was only for like 3 min) voices filled my head:
"I can't believe you messed up again"
"You can't afford to be wasting money like this"
"Your kids are watching"
"You still have to clean up the mess in the kitchen, and fold laundry"
"Hey what about xyz that you still haven't done today"
"I went to all this trouble to make this for my boys."
"I will never figure out what their digestive issues are."
"I should just give up and quite trying so hard with everything"
"Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets. Luke 5:5"
That last voice cut through my pain. I remembered reading about Peter's fishing experience in "Hope for the Weary Mom". Then other verses and things I had read came to mind.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthen me."
"Do not grow weary of doing good."
" I am not alone"
" Maybe I'm just tired"
"Perhaps God is using this experience for something good"
"Hey I could write about this"
Well I got up and got the boys to bed. I determined to take just one more step. My boys were so sweet with their prayers too. Then I came write over to write to you.
Honestly I can tell you that last year I would have sobbed for ages, screamed at the kids while getting them into bed, cried out the the Lord in anger and held a grudge for a few days. The difference? My new found hope. Over the last 10 weeks I have been constantly reminded of how much I am loved. That I am so not alone in this weary walk. That God can bring me through incredible circumstances. That God can use our lives for His glory and others' benefit too. I reconnected with my God and felt more confident in my own abilities as a mother. Being reminded that I am not perfect, I will make mistakes, this road is hard, and the other moms around me aren't perfect either (in fact they are probably just as weary as I am) me makes me feel more empowered and encouraged!
So I thank Stacey and Brooke for sharing their lives with us. I thank Megan for leading this year's study. And I pray for you, Weary Mom, that you may find hope and hold on to it with everything you've got.
Many blessings,
Meaghan
PS This post is linked to Hope for the Weary Mom week 10 link up....
You have been on my mind for a while now. I have been thinking about what to write you for two days now. I haven't blogged in months because I am having issues loading photos. Tonight the Lord brought me to the end of myself so that I could share how "Hope for the Weary Mom" has made such a difference in my life.
I will not go into details of what is making me weary. You know. You are there too. It could be financial, relationships, children, a season of life, too much on the go, or a combination of many things that has brought you to this weary place. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!! This was one of the most powerful things that hit me and made a difference when I did this study (twice now). I have God with me always and hundreds, probably millions, of other weary moms going through the exact same things I am.
Tonight I was making homemade yogurt after a fail attempt last weekend. Let's just say that using a Canadian thermometer and and American recipe meant I was trying for hours to get my milk hotter than it could and ruined another batch of rather hard to find and expensive ingredients (for where I live). That was what threw me over the edge. I burst into tears and collapsed on the couch. My poor young boys tried to cheer me up. My older son (4.5years old) offered some encouraging words of not giving up and trying again. My younger son (2.5years old) brought me a toy and a drink of water. After a not so kindly worded reminder even helped get ready for bed.
While I was flaked out on the couch (really it was only for like 3 min) voices filled my head:
"I can't believe you messed up again"
"You can't afford to be wasting money like this"
"Your kids are watching"
"You still have to clean up the mess in the kitchen, and fold laundry"
"Hey what about xyz that you still haven't done today"
"I went to all this trouble to make this for my boys."
"I will never figure out what their digestive issues are."
"I should just give up and quite trying so hard with everything"
"Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets. Luke 5:5"
That last voice cut through my pain. I remembered reading about Peter's fishing experience in "Hope for the Weary Mom". Then other verses and things I had read came to mind.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthen me."
"Do not grow weary of doing good."
" I am not alone"
" Maybe I'm just tired"
"Perhaps God is using this experience for something good"
"Hey I could write about this"
Well I got up and got the boys to bed. I determined to take just one more step. My boys were so sweet with their prayers too. Then I came write over to write to you.
Honestly I can tell you that last year I would have sobbed for ages, screamed at the kids while getting them into bed, cried out the the Lord in anger and held a grudge for a few days. The difference? My new found hope. Over the last 10 weeks I have been constantly reminded of how much I am loved. That I am so not alone in this weary walk. That God can bring me through incredible circumstances. That God can use our lives for His glory and others' benefit too. I reconnected with my God and felt more confident in my own abilities as a mother. Being reminded that I am not perfect, I will make mistakes, this road is hard, and the other moms around me aren't perfect either (in fact they are probably just as weary as I am) me makes me feel more empowered and encouraged!
So I thank Stacey and Brooke for sharing their lives with us. I thank Megan for leading this year's study. And I pray for you, Weary Mom, that you may find hope and hold on to it with everything you've got.
Many blessings,
Meaghan
PS This post is linked to Hope for the Weary Mom week 10 link up....
Sunday, 20 January 2013
In Christ Alone
The words from this song really spoke to me in church today. Try an internet search to listen today.
"In Christ Alone"
"In Christ Alone"
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.
In Christ alone! who took on flesh
Fulness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave he rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.
In Christ alone! who took on flesh
Fulness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave he rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
**I found the words through a quick Google search but there are probably some official ones somewhere. http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/nataliegrant/inchristalone.html
Bringing God your mess
I know I haven't written for a very long while. I still haven't fixed my issue with the photos on this blog, but I'll get to it. After Christmas (which was wonderful by the way), we got a nasty cold that lasted about 3 weeks. So now I'm back and will write when I feel inspired to do so.
Do you know when you hear or see the same message several time. Well I'm feeling inspired to jump in and share with all of you what God has been teaching me this week.
If you haven't heard about this book yet, I highly recommend you head over right now. Hope for the Weary Mom: Where God Meets you in Your Mess is the most amazing eBook. It speaks right the the heart of moms everywhere. You are just in time to join in the the book study too!
Here are some great links:
Week 1 Why God Meets us in Our Mess
Week 2 When You Weakness is all You can See
So here is what I have been learning this week through this book, my quiet time with God, bible reading on other blogs like God Centred Mom and 5 Min for Faith.
1. I'm not perfect! I know that's shocking but sometimes and moms we try to do it all and feel just awful when we don't measure up.
2. I am not alone. There are so many mom's that are following along and sharing their stories. It feels so good to know that we are all in the trenches of parenting together. We often believe the lie that everyone else has it all together.
3. God will meet me in my mess. I may not get answers right away, but when I call out to Him I can breath and take the next step. There are many places in scripture that remind us to lay our burdens before the Lord and He is always with us. Here is a great post on that I read today.
4. Satan keeps feeding me lies that I need to recognize and NOT believe them. He tries to tell me I'm not good enough, I've messed up again, no one is listening, I'm alone and more. But I'm learnings to rise above that and believe the wonderful truths directly for God our Father who loves me!!
5. There are so many people that need prayer. Please feel free to leave a comment and know that I will spend time each day praying for you. I know that others have prayed for me and it means so much to me.
So my thought are not too profound. I hope you are able to see God working in your life today.
Many blessings to all,
Meaghan
Do you know when you hear or see the same message several time. Well I'm feeling inspired to jump in and share with all of you what God has been teaching me this week.
If you haven't heard about this book yet, I highly recommend you head over right now. Hope for the Weary Mom: Where God Meets you in Your Mess is the most amazing eBook. It speaks right the the heart of moms everywhere. You are just in time to join in the the book study too!
Here are some great links:
Week 1 Why God Meets us in Our Mess
Week 2 When You Weakness is all You can See
So here is what I have been learning this week through this book, my quiet time with God, bible reading on other blogs like God Centred Mom and 5 Min for Faith.
1. I'm not perfect! I know that's shocking but sometimes and moms we try to do it all and feel just awful when we don't measure up.
2. I am not alone. There are so many mom's that are following along and sharing their stories. It feels so good to know that we are all in the trenches of parenting together. We often believe the lie that everyone else has it all together.
3. God will meet me in my mess. I may not get answers right away, but when I call out to Him I can breath and take the next step. There are many places in scripture that remind us to lay our burdens before the Lord and He is always with us. Here is a great post on that I read today.
4. Satan keeps feeding me lies that I need to recognize and NOT believe them. He tries to tell me I'm not good enough, I've messed up again, no one is listening, I'm alone and more. But I'm learnings to rise above that and believe the wonderful truths directly for God our Father who loves me!!
5. There are so many people that need prayer. Please feel free to leave a comment and know that I will spend time each day praying for you. I know that others have prayed for me and it means so much to me.
So my thought are not too profound. I hope you are able to see God working in your life today.
Many blessings to all,
Meaghan
Sunday, 25 November 2012
November catch-up
PLEASE NOTE: If you happen to look for older posts and they've gone missing here is what happened. I got a message that I had used up all my photo storage space. I could purchase more space but I decided to delete some old posts that didn't have too many views. Unfortunately it didn't make any difference so I just lost some good posts.
I have been given several suggestions on what to do, but I think it would require me reformatting all the old photos and re-posting old posts. With over 200 posts I'm not loving that idea. So I can't share what we have been doing all month with you.
We have had a great November. We have been playing dress up, eating new healthier foods, and finding new activities to do outside. November is hard for me because it isn't quite winter/Christmasy but in Canada we are done with Thanksgiving/fall. We made lanterns for Martinmas, and focused a lot on Jack Frost. We also enjoyed our first snow fall.
Next week I'll be gearing up for December and creating our advent calendar.
I hope to be back up and blogging soon.
Many blessings to you all.
I have been given several suggestions on what to do, but I think it would require me reformatting all the old photos and re-posting old posts. With over 200 posts I'm not loving that idea. So I can't share what we have been doing all month with you.
We have had a great November. We have been playing dress up, eating new healthier foods, and finding new activities to do outside. November is hard for me because it isn't quite winter/Christmasy but in Canada we are done with Thanksgiving/fall. We made lanterns for Martinmas, and focused a lot on Jack Frost. We also enjoyed our first snow fall.
Next week I'll be gearing up for December and creating our advent calendar.
I hope to be back up and blogging soon.
Many blessings to you all.
Monday, 29 October 2012
Fall Harvest Party
This past weekend we had a Fall Harvest Party. In our wonderful stories (see resources below) Super Sam and his friends had a fall harvest party so we decided to have one too. All month long the children followed along with Super Sam's adventures and also created their own invitations, snacks, decorations and games. On Saturday morning cousin E and one of our daycare girls came to celebrate in the fun. Unfortunately not everyone was able to attend, but we still had a great time.
 |
| Welcome to the party |
 |
| Fall Nature Table |
 |
| Yummy treats |
 |
| Bowling Squash |
 |
| Pumpkin bean bag toss |
 |
| Decorating coffee filters as jack-o-lanterns |
 |
| Circle Time |
 |
| Fall decorations |
 |
| Dressing Up |
 |
| Fall sensory bins |
We are using Waldorf Essentials kindergarten curriculum that comes with their Thinking Feeling Willing program. I can't say enough about how amazing Melissa is. The children lessons are adorable and all the kids love Super Sam. The mom lessons have taught me so much about Waldorf I feel much more prepared to homeschool now. Of course the support from Melissa is invaluable and always so helpful. I do encourage anyone new to Waldorf or needing some help to check out this program.
I am really excited about the rest of the fall and into the winter. We will continue to use the Waldorf Essentials and also have included some wonderful themes from Seasons of Joy Winter.
Check out the giveaway at Seasons of Joy this week and join their link-up!!
I'll be linking up throughout the week:
Happy Family Times
Natural Suburbia
It's Play Time
Sunday, 21 October 2012
Fall Fun
Well I lost the camera somewhere on our way home from our Thanksgiving weekend (or it is still in a bag somewhere waiting to be discovered). So I have finally downloaded all the photos I've been taking off my camera.
Over the past two weeks it has been all about fall around here. Leaves, pumpkins, harvesting gardens, and more leaves!
After Thanksgiving (here in Canada) the boys played in leaves a lot. We have been using our sandbox trucks to push them around, raking, filling tarps to take to the compost pile, jumping, rolling, throwing, using snow shovels... We also made little toadstools to look like Super Sam's house from our stories. I had found some paper-mache mushrooms on clearance at the end of the summer. We used red and white tissue paper to decorate them for the nature table. The next day the boys used leaves to make prints. They experimented with a few different painting techniques and even painted with some pine needles.
We have visited many farms over the last month. Early in the month we went to Robinson's Farm (one of the daycare boy's grandparents own the farm). Over the summer and early fall we also went to Frootogo for apple picking. Recently we have been to Parkside Farms and Simpler Thyme organic farm. Of course we also harvested our whole garden plot and cleaned it up for the winter. We ended up with a tone of green tomatoes.
It was such a delight for me to visit Simpler Thyme farms as the lady who runs it is so kind and lovely to talk to. We also met up with another family from our area who is doing Waldorf Homeschooling. TJ played soccer with their boys for over an hour in the cold wind and can't wait to do it again!
We have made are more contact paper and leaf collages to hang in the window. On a particularly busy day for the daycare we made collages of fall coloured material and yarn. Lots of baking has been going on. I used up all the green tomatoes to make 2 apple-tomato pies, 1 bunt cake, 2 loaves, 4 dozen muffins, and froze the ones that ripened. I'm now working on the apples next.
In our stories (we are using the kindergarten lessons from Thinking Feeling Willing at Waldorf Essentials), Super Sam takes a little boat to deliver invitations to his Harvest Party. We made little boats out of apple sauce containers and origami paper. Once they tipped over TJ realize we could just use leaves from outside as the sail. As a daycare we are hosting our own harvest party next weekend. The children are excitedly planing and baking to get ready.
The weather has been on and off, but we are outside every day. TJ has been working to move the log pile around and our rope swing is getting a lot of use. We have had some on and off days too. Now that everyone is getting used to each other we are learning to respect people's space and to use our manners. Communication for preschoolers and kindergarteners is difficult but we are working on talking to each other (politely). Behaviour around here is slipping and mommy is getting very weary, but I'm making steps to turn things around. I'm hopeful to have a shift in the mood around here next week.
Over the past two weeks it has been all about fall around here. Leaves, pumpkins, harvesting gardens, and more leaves!
 |
| Leaves, toadstools, pinting with leaves |
 |
| Ducks at Simpler Thyme Farms, Chickens at Parkside Farms, playing with toy phones, Another visit to Parkside Farms |
We have made are more contact paper and leaf collages to hang in the window. On a particularly busy day for the daycare we made collages of fall coloured material and yarn. Lots of baking has been going on. I used up all the green tomatoes to make 2 apple-tomato pies, 1 bunt cake, 2 loaves, 4 dozen muffins, and froze the ones that ripened. I'm now working on the apples next.
One day we went to Parkside Farms with our cousins E and baby J. The children all picked out some larger pumpkins to decorate. When we got home we made fun faces on the pumpkins with playdough. It was neat to be able to take it off and start again. Then we pulled out some paint, glue and glitter for the kids to go wild! TJ and MJ are so proud of their creations. Cousin E made a great start on her large pumpkin, and even baby J liked playing with his.
 |
| decorating and playing with pumpkins |
 |
| material collage, boats for Sam, clearing leaves with snow shovels |
I'll be linking up to some great sites during the week. I encourage you to check them out for more wonderfully inspiring ideas!
Monday, 8 October 2012
Week 5: The acorn family
I realized that I hadn’t written about our week. Here are some highlights.
 |
| New veggie we found at the garden plot |
 |
| Woody, Pip, and Hazel |
 |
| Pumpkin rocks to give at Thanksgiving |
On Tuesday we went to the early years center to meet some
friends. We hadn’t been in quite a
while and had a nice time. In the
afternoon we had to go downtown to get our police checks done. Not a very exciting afternoon but the
kids all did well. Later in the
evening my friend came to visit and the boys decorated some rocks they had
painted orange for their pumpkin rocks.
On Wednesday the kids helped me to wash all our pie
pumpkins. After I cut them up to
bake I thought the children would enjoy scooping out the insides but they all
thought it was too slimy. Because
I was busy with all the pumpkins it was a bit chaotic. But we did end up with 14cups of puree
and everyone learned to play by themselves a little more. During quiet time I we also opened a
new box of window crayons which was fun.
 |
| Yummy pumpkin pancakes |
 |
| All our friends out on a walk |
 |
| The boys climbing rocks |
 |
| Sam and Mr. Squirrel out on our walk |
 |
| Beauty of fall! |
On Friday we had a full house and loads of fun. It was painting day and the children
worked on invitations for the fall harvest party they are hosting at the end of
the month. We painted their hand
to make a tree print and then they used their fingertips to make little
leaves. It turned out very
well. Our new songs for circle
time are also being learned quickly.
 |
| Finger painting fall trees |
 |
| MJ making leaves |
This week I did a lot of baking and packing for the
weekend. We first went to Meaford
on Saturday to visit one set of grandparents. It rained on and off all day but didn’t let that stop us
from looking at all the scarecrows around town and visiting a local market for
apples. The boys loved playing at
their house.
The next day after a late start we visited my husbands' aunt
and then headed off just past Orillia to visit another set of
grandparents. At the cottage our
boys went fishing, played outside all afternoon, made a big fire and enjoyed
visiting cousins and relatives.
Although they didn’t eat much of the dinner they were sure to be ready for
a yummy dessert (we brought pumpkin cake with Nutella icing). It was nice to not have to run off and
head home again, as we decided to stay the night.
 |
| Thanksgiving Place Mats |
Monday we got going late from the cottage and then got stuck in traffic for several hours. We went straight to my parents for another lovely dinner. The kids made fun place mats using clear contact paper and leaves. They were rather restless by the end of the weekend. The food was delicious and it was wonderful to see my family.
I realized that although we did a lot of fall activities
this week I forgot to focus on Thanksgiving with the boys. We do talk about being thankful daily,
but I know I could have made more effort with that. We did talk more about it on the weekend though.
Linking up this week:
Hip Homeschool Moms
Happy Family Times
Seasons of Joy Waldorf Wednesdays
It's Play Time
Tuesday, 2 October 2012
Gift Giving (never too early to start planning)
As many of you already know we are trying to move towards a simpler more natural lifestyle (Okay I am and everyone else is along for the ride). That being said our gift giving and wish lists are changing too... a little.
I do hope this post doesn't offend or bother anyone (I hate conflict), I am not trying to push our wish list on family members (although Christmas is coming!!), but wanted to share some fun ideas with everyone.
To start with, I want to recommend Wishlist.com. It has been a great way to keep track of items we want throughout the year. There is also a little app button you can put on your internet bar so when you see something you like from any page you can ad it to your wish list. I currently have three lists
My boys http://www.wishlist.com/1124087/timothyandmatthew/
Homeschool/Daycare http://www.wishlist.com/1124087/schoolanddaycare/
Me http://www.wishlist.com/1124087/meaghanjackson/
I know there are so many blogs, lists and Pintrest ideas out there. Below is a list of inexpensive homemade ideas for kids. Some have links. You don't need to be super crafty, a simple glue-gun could do most of these. Also check out the crafts, activities and project on my side bar for more.
Play dough kit - homemade play dough and some accessorize
Fort kit - bed sheet, ropes, big laundry clips
Baskets of natural items - rocks, pinecones, sticks, shells
Dress-up clothes - no need for a full costume just some accessories or head band with ears will work
Play silks- you can go fancy or just put a hem on flowy pieces of material
Nature bag - a simple draw string bag is perfect to collect nature items with
Puppets - again you can buy some or make simple sock puppets (fun to make with the kids), you could give a child a kit of supplies to make their own.
Tree blocks - get a thick branch and cut into various lengths. Most of ours are about 1-2 inches tall
Wooden blocks - we took the end pieces from our last reno and cut into different lengths, they have been outside all summer and fall.
Felt board - simply cover a piece of cardboard in felt, then cut your own fun shapes out. We printed a paper doll set and cut it out of felt for dress up, you could also make different face parts...
Mail - unfold a paper envelope and trace onto felt, cut it out and glue up the sides. We used cut up old cards and some stiff felt to make the mail inside. You can glue on velcro dots and make different names and stamps too.
Roads - simply cut lengths of denim from old jeans. You can sew up the sides or just leave them. I painted a line down the middle and made a parking lot piece.
Bean Bags - think simple like an old pair of socks stuffed with an elastic on the end, or make a rectangle from material and glue up the sides. I made a set out of an old winder coat, you could knit some nice ones too.
Sensory Bins - how about a shallow box with bean, pasta, rice, accessories for a gift. Water beads are also popular this year. You could even make up themed ones to swap with friends.
Re-gift - each year my boys pass a long a few books to their cousin as their gift to her. We choose ones in good condition. You could also pass along other toys to a friend, relative or donate them too.
Thrift Store - kids don't notice if a toy is new or not. Last year we bought several different used sets of tracks and put them together in a fabric bag. We also got a really nice metal digger for the sand box in good condition. Besides then you don't have to spend all morning trying to get the toys out of the boxes. Be creative with how you present them.
This year we will most likely be giving homemade gifts too. Here are some ideas for adults.
I'll try to update this with more ideas as we go along. Please do share your ideas in the comment box.
 |
| Mini stockings for our advent calendar |
To start with, I want to recommend Wishlist.com. It has been a great way to keep track of items we want throughout the year. There is also a little app button you can put on your internet bar so when you see something you like from any page you can ad it to your wish list. I currently have three lists
My boys http://www.wishlist.com/1124087/timothyandmatthew/
Homeschool/Daycare http://www.wishlist.com/1124087/schoolanddaycare/
Me http://www.wishlist.com/1124087/meaghanjackson/
 |
| Used craft time to make a Father's Day Gift |
Play dough kit - homemade play dough and some accessorize
Fort kit - bed sheet, ropes, big laundry clips
Baskets of natural items - rocks, pinecones, sticks, shells
Dress-up clothes - no need for a full costume just some accessories or head band with ears will work
Play silks- you can go fancy or just put a hem on flowy pieces of material
Nature bag - a simple draw string bag is perfect to collect nature items with
Puppets - again you can buy some or make simple sock puppets (fun to make with the kids), you could give a child a kit of supplies to make their own.
Tree blocks - get a thick branch and cut into various lengths. Most of ours are about 1-2 inches tall
Wooden blocks - we took the end pieces from our last reno and cut into different lengths, they have been outside all summer and fall.
Felt board - simply cover a piece of cardboard in felt, then cut your own fun shapes out. We printed a paper doll set and cut it out of felt for dress up, you could also make different face parts...
Mail - unfold a paper envelope and trace onto felt, cut it out and glue up the sides. We used cut up old cards and some stiff felt to make the mail inside. You can glue on velcro dots and make different names and stamps too.
Roads - simply cut lengths of denim from old jeans. You can sew up the sides or just leave them. I painted a line down the middle and made a parking lot piece.
Bean Bags - think simple like an old pair of socks stuffed with an elastic on the end, or make a rectangle from material and glue up the sides. I made a set out of an old winder coat, you could knit some nice ones too.
Sensory Bins - how about a shallow box with bean, pasta, rice, accessories for a gift. Water beads are also popular this year. You could even make up themed ones to swap with friends.
Re-gift - each year my boys pass a long a few books to their cousin as their gift to her. We choose ones in good condition. You could also pass along other toys to a friend, relative or donate them too.
Thrift Store - kids don't notice if a toy is new or not. Last year we bought several different used sets of tracks and put them together in a fabric bag. We also got a really nice metal digger for the sand box in good condition. Besides then you don't have to spend all morning trying to get the toys out of the boxes. Be creative with how you present them.
 |
| Sock monsters (MeAgainCreations still has a few left) |
Notecards - This one is also for adults!!! Use blank note cards or card stock and decorate. Simple stamps an some trim are very effective. I used old holiday cards too. Last year I made a large set for different family member including different holidays and occasions.
Baking - need I say more?!
Frozen dinners - double what ever you are making and save some as a gift.
Time - I can tell you how much I'd love time to go out or have some time. Consider babysitting even just once for someone.
Kids crafts - if you are at home crafting with your kids, use it as a time to make gifts for others, there are plenty of cute ideas out there.
Wrapping paper - use your children's artwork as wrapping paper! I also made a set of reusable gift bags to cut back on paper waste.
I'll try to update this with more ideas as we go along. Please do share your ideas in the comment box.
Sunday, 30 September 2012
What I'm learning along the way
What did I learn this week?
A whole lot! Last week I discovered our need to slow down and I have been working on that (okay this week was a bit busier than expected). The children are now clearing their places at the table and helping unload the dish washer. We are more often tidying away toys before we move on. I have also been reading lots of articles over at The Parenting Passageway. I am trying to keep my own emotions and reactions in check, along with having more realistic expectations from my boys. I am using a quieter voice when I can remember and I'm trying to help the children problem solve instead of reacting to the behaviour (like pushing). So far it is going okay but no one ever warns you just how exhausting it is to be on top of things and in the moment all day long! I am giving myself some grace and relying on God's strength each day.
A whole lot! Last week I discovered our need to slow down and I have been working on that (okay this week was a bit busier than expected). The children are now clearing their places at the table and helping unload the dish washer. We are more often tidying away toys before we move on. I have also been reading lots of articles over at The Parenting Passageway. I am trying to keep my own emotions and reactions in check, along with having more realistic expectations from my boys. I am using a quieter voice when I can remember and I'm trying to help the children problem solve instead of reacting to the behaviour (like pushing). So far it is going okay but no one ever warns you just how exhausting it is to be on top of things and in the moment all day long! I am giving myself some grace and relying on God's strength each day.
In our home we strive to use gentle/positive parenting. I am reading and learning more about it as we go along so I need patience with all of use as we often slip back to our old ways of shouting, threats, time-outs, punishments, etc. It may not resonate with everyone but for us we see the benefits. We want to model for our children how they should behave and how we want them to be as they grow. Besides we've tried everything with our boys and when we push harder they push back and it all blows up worse. Coaching and guiding (at least with TJ) seems to get a much better reaction.
Just yesterday as I was hanging our cloth diapers TJ came over to me and said: "Mommy my body told me that if I see someone doing work all by their self I should help them," and then he worked happily beside me. Later in the day MJ had made a mess of the play kitchen. On his own TJ started to put everything away with his toy loader. I suggested that it was MJ's mess but TJ said he wanted to clean it. I need to treasure these moments (especially since he bite MJ really hard on the arm later that same day)
I have noticed that TJ is awakening to the idea that perhaps our bodies sometimes tell us to do the wrong thing and we need to think about our actions. He is just beginning to get it, but has told me before that his body told him to do it (hit, bite...) and then we talk about how we should listen to God's voice instead. I never imagined these conversation when I thought of having kids. What a privilege to be part of their most intimate thoughts.
I am so thankful with where our journey is taking us. In discovering Waldorf education I am really working on my own inner work. The lessons and activities for the kids are not the end but just a means to provide some structure to our day and a platform to work on their development (sharing, movement, imaginations). I do still need to figure out how to balance the daycare, company work, my own crafts, personal time, house work, and everything in between. I am just keeping my head above water most days and the business side of things is being sorely neglected. Jon is also crazy busy with work. We do look forward to things settling down a little.
This is the perfect time for me to be working on inner work, family and rhythms before we get into academics. I am so glad to have this year to really enjoy our young boys and work on things now.
Hope things are going well with al of you. I'd love to hear what you are learning!
This is the perfect time for me to be working on inner work, family and rhythms before we get into academics. I am so glad to have this year to really enjoy our young boys and work on things now.
Hope things are going well with al of you. I'd love to hear what you are learning!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)