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Tuesday, April 21, 2009

If I Had All the Money in the World

This is where my kids would go to school. Part farm/part Waldorf school in Port Hadlock, Washington.

I'm becoming increasingly interested in Waldorf methods for our family. At first, I just loved the natural elements of the lifestyle. I liked that children's toys looked more like pieces of art. We've been loving playsilks since before I knew they were 'Waldorfy'.

More than the objects though I like how connected every living thing is. Right now, I'm struggling with all of the 'screen time' in our life. I feel like the people I love most are too often unavailable. Not unavailable physically because they are sitting right there, but rather unavailable emotionally and socially. I am looking forward to the summer months home with Jake and Kaiya as much for the vacation from work as for the reconnection with each other and the earth.

I think that the Waldorf schooling method would fit Jake very well. He's such a free spirit. He is becoming more and more rational which also fits with Waldorf. After all, he did just get four new adult teeth!
If it were up to me and I had the money to do it, Jake would be making himself a home in the community of that school on the farm. For now though, we make our home in the public school he attends and I have to say that they are amazingly good with him and there is a very positive vibe throughout the building. I just wish for him to be in the optimal place for him...not second best.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Found It!!


I have been on a quest to find Living Crafts magazine for weeks now. I have asked the kind folks at Border's, Barnes and Noble, and two (count them 2!) Jo-Ann Fabrics....


What does a girl have to do to get a little handmade love around here?


Well, apparently she has to visit Michael's, which she didn't even know existed over here anymore.
Thank you to the kind lady who hadn't the faintest idea what I was talking about and somehow pointed me in the right direction anyway. I was so excited when I glimpsed that shiny cover beckoning me from the front of the store. It was right there all along. I was truly like a kid in a candy store.
Know I just need to actually get some crafting done instead of surfing around their website checking out Rosie Hippo and The Wooden Wagon...and A Child's Dream.....
Hey, it's okay because I know some kids with birthdays coming up!

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Now THIS is More Like It!

Finally! A real 'Spring' day!



The sun was out today and it found us working in the yard, consuming popsicles, and wearing shorter pants.

Putting a yard together from scratch is both very satisfying and extremely hard work. Our yard is all clay and in order to get things to grow in it we are going to have to do some heavy-duty overhauling. We're working on putting in raised beds and filling the lake that appears during a hard rain. The lake is really more of a moat that our builders so kindly left us to deal with.



Working side by side in our little patch of earth feels incredible. We talk and laugh. The kids come and go, digging and pretending to plant things. The property is about the size of a postage stamp, but it belongs to us. It is our postage stamp.



Kaiya and Jake had a great time searching for Easter eggs with Nana.



Kaiya's understanding of the premise of egg hunting has some room for fine-tuning. After obtaining one, shiny, glorious egg...she was done. She posed for pictures with her egg and saw no need to further her search for more. This concept was enforced by the other toddlers who readily shared their bounty with her. No need to hunt when the prizes fall right into your basket.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Spring Is Here!

You know, I'm really glad I didn't post this on the first day of Spring as I had intended. Because, as neighbors and friends know...it snowed here on April 1st! We woke up to a light dusting of the white stuff and it continued to snow through the morning and into the afternoon.

It was just Mother Nature's little April Fool's joke with some help from King Winter as Jake pointed out. Perfect timing, Nature. It has snowed more this year than any year I can remember in the past. Although, I did find a photograph from March 28th of last year showing my car covered in white as I stepped out of a nearby school after it had let out. So, there's that.


We are filling our days with projects and trying not to let the rain ruin outdoor plans (can anyone say the best mudpies EVER?). We felted some Easter eggs the other day, but they did not turn out nearly as nicely as WaldorfMama's...wow! She does such beautiful work. We are taking the kids to a fun Easter hunt tomorrow. I'll post pics as sson as we get home!

Love to all!