Friday was our homeschool coop's final meeting for the school year. It has been such a wonderful experience for the adults, as well as for the children. There is so much I want to say about how we structure our group, how our school-creating process is evolving, and what we're visioning for the coming year, but I will get to each of those topics in turn. Today I would like to share the Circle that we have used this spring, and this week I will share our end of year ceremony. Each Friday morning, I led the ten children in song, movement, and verse for about 30 minutes. I gather my songs from the following sources: the wonderful CD "Come Follow Me," various Waldorf curricula such as … [Read more...]
Late Winter Waldorf Circle Songs
One of my favorite times of the week is Friday morning, when our little Waldorf homeschooling cooperative gathers together. Six parents and eight children crowd in a tiny living room to share songs, stories, snacks, and crafts. Our older children are 4-5 years old, and a few of us also have 2-3 year old children in tow. So, we're in essence creating a mixed ages kindergarten. It works remarkably well. The younger kids follow right along with their older siblings, with occasional breaks for cuddling or nursing. Each parent is responsible for a portion of the morning's activities, and I am generally the leader of the circle time, which consists of a few verses, some fingerplays, and lots … [Read more...]
Sewing together
Ella and I have embarked on a slightly more structured homeschooling journey this year. While I've always had a Waldorf-inspired home, with lots of song, outdoor time, natural materials, open ended creative play, and child involvement in homemaking, this year we've been making time to do more formal Waldorf "school" which usually involves circle time, a story, and crafting or handwork. Last week, I came home from the library with Amy Karol's book Bend the Rules Sewing, and flipped through the pages with Ella, who instantly wanted to create something. Napkins seemed like the easiest idea until I realized that the hem would provide a challenge to me (I am really quite new to sewing and … [Read more...]
Girls and Dolls
There has been a lot of crafting going on this week, as Ella and I decided to make some dolls. I took a great introductory dollmaking class last year at the Eugene Waldorf School, and used my notes from that class, and the book Making Waldorf Dolls by Maricristin Sealey to guide us. Ella was able to stuff, sew, and embroider the face of her doll (the red one) by herself, and the hair style is all her doing! She also really enjoyed stuffing the body and arms. I helped out with the rest of the body and all over stitching. Can you tell how much she loves these dolls! What kind of crafting have you been up to this week? *Joining the fine crafty folks at Frontier Dreams! … [Read more...]
A Sweet and Simple Birthday Celebration
My sweet little Everett Alder turned two today. It's almost impossible to believe that the mellow baby I birthed two years ago is the same active and talkative little boy! His sweet spirit has remained constant - underneath his loud voice and big energy is a sensitive soul. We love him so. We planned a day of quiet celebration, just our family, and after a big celebration for my (38th!!) birthday just two days ago, it was nice to have a peaceful day. Ev awoke to a new (used) Brio train set, and after breakfast we biked to the train depot to watch trains. What fun for a two year old boy to live in a town with an Amtrak station just a few blocks away! I stitched him up a new wool felt … [Read more...]
Finger knitting with children
Monday was an adventure day, as the kids and I joined a good friend and her children on a trip to the coast. The whole day was so much fun - mamas chatting in the front seat, kids piled into the back of her minivan, picnic lunch on the sand, hunting for treasure, climbing sand dunes, and eating ice cream. It was such a necessary recharge for me; a chance to spend hours connecting with another woman, another mother, who faces many of the same joys and challenges as I do. Her 5 year old daughter, C spent much of the car ride finger knitting. I had been taught a version of finger knitting by one of Ella's Waldorf school teachers, but it was way too complicated for Ella - wrapping around 4 … [Read more...]
