Gifting Poem

As the holiday season approaches I've been thinking of gifts for the girls.  I recalled this poem tonight and wanted to log it so that I would remember it and stay focused this year.  I did it last year and it helped a ton.  I also want to try to hand make them each something special.  Happy Holidays!

 

One they want;
One they need.
One to wear;
One to read.

And One to share.

Princess Luncheon

I have said this many times, but The City of Chandler has great youth programs.  They offered a Luncheon with the Princesses where 4-6 year olds got to dress up as a princess and have lunch with a princess.  It was a really nice mid morning event.  Paige got to attend with another girl from our MOMS playgroup.  They made a craft, colored, sang and had lunch.  At the end they allowed pictures.  It was adorable and Paige had a really good time.  We will definitely do this again!

Paige got to pick her princess dress, jewelry and crown. 

She picked the pink...I thought for sure she'd pick the purple. 

So excited to be all dressed up.

Outside the rec center

Sitting with Freya, who is wearing green. 

Three life long friends! 

Michaelmas Play at Waldorf

On Friday, Waldorf acted out a Michaelmas play. I took the girls so they could watch. In the second grade the curriculum involved learning about the saints and heroes. The play included grades 1-4 performing with also the wind band playing. It was really fun. I'm so happy the girls are getting to experience this method of learning. This is a link to how Desert Marigold described the day.  I like the verse by Rudolf Steiner himself: 

Nature! Your soul of motherhood
I bear within the being of my will;
And this will’s fiery might
Steels my Spirit’s Impulses,
That self-awareness they beget,
To bear my Self in me.

Paige and Hailey waiting for the performance to start. 
I caught them not smiling!

Dressed in white with stars to show that Michael is present to save the village!

Holding their swords to slay the dragon

The dragon enters.  (30 feet long!)

Hooray!  The dragon is slayed.  The village saved. 

Dragon Bread

I am learning so many neat traditions during our time at Waldorf.  I knew that Michaelmas was a holiday that was celebrated, however I didn't know all that was involved.  After snack at Waldorf on Tuesday, the teacher brought out the most adorable loaf of bread that was shaped like a dragon.  How sweet!  The kids loved it and actually I was enamored by it.  The teacher told me she got the recipe and the story that went with it on Pinterest, so I quickly found it when I got home.  I made two loaves. 

Coincidentally, when Paige takes snack to Montessori, she also needs to take a show & tell.  It lined up perfectly that this week she had to take snack, so she took Dragon Bread and the story of George and the Dragon.  It's adapted from the story of the Archangel Michael banishing Satan to Hell as told in Revelations 12:7-9.  However, St. Michael is also known for his strength and courage.  Michaelmas has many meanings, we focused on finding the strength and courage to conquer your dragons.  Or basically good vs evil.  As the girls grow they will learn more, as will I.  It is very interesting and quite fun to discover new ways of looking at the world and yourself.  I really enjoyed this festival. 

Pics from last couple weeks

We FINALLY got our new iPhones, which this is terrible to say, but they were seriously NEEDED.  I could barely use my old one as an actual phone anymore and it would not turn off.  However, of course, with software and hardware changes some of my apps are not up to date yet.  Including my Blogpress app that I use to upload pics.  So, these are being posted very late. 

Hailey stirring dinner.  Lasagna casserole. 

 

Paige was assigned bread sticks to bring to school for snack. 
I attempted to make some shaped like letters. 
FAIL.  I could not get them to stick together. 

Paige kneading the dough for letter bread sticks...which failed on my part. 

We've been taking nature walks on Friday mornings and the girls bring buckets to
pick up things along the way that they find interesting. 
We get lots of rocks, pods, leaves, some flowers and pine cones. 
There is a park at the halfway point.  Both climbed this rope web really well! 

I broke down and bought a NEW picnic table this year. 
Our find on Craig's List from last year is really used now
and they have actually out grown it.  This new one is super cool!

Paige showing her Waldorf influence...she played with rocks ALL day.  Yes, ROCKS. 

Hailey "scrubbing"

Paige playing dollhouse.  But I love how she set the table. 
Nanny would be very proud. 

Teen Mom

I'm going to admit it.  I'm a MTV Teen Mom watcher or viewer.  I started watching this particular bunch when they were on the show 16 and Pregnant when I was pregnant with Paige.  Yes, it's been four years.  I remember thinking how lucky I was to be settled, have a husband who wanted Paige as much as I did, both of us were employed, educated, the list went on.  It's been 4 years since I started watching this group of girls, who are now women and mothers.  Each still struggles emotionally, financially, with relationships, making decisions of parenthood, and yes, this list too goes on.  They have all tried to make the best of their situations, but at this young age it must be incredibly difficult to do it all. 
The message that I got from this series is that teen pregnancy should be avoided at all costs.  The way their lives are being lead is not one that I would have wanted to follow.  It looks just plain hard.  The one couple that has stayed together and been able to make the most of their situation is the one who chose adoption for their child.  But they too, still struggle with their incredibly brave and mature decision. 
I know our girls will face the pressure of sex sooner than Brian and I ever want them to.  I hope that there are more tools or shows like this that they can watch to help them in making their decisions with our influence and guidance of course. 
I wish only the best for the parents on this show and for their children. 

Land, Air, Water

Today we reviewed the geography lesson in the Culture and Science section of our curriculum.  It was to teach the fundamentals of earth.  It was so nice how it tells to set it up with soil, water and a balloon to demonstrate air.  Both girls got the concept right away.  They were even both able to tell Dada what the earth is made of when he got home tonight.  Of course, in true testosterone fashion, once Dada got home the balloons quickly changed to "noise makers" and flying objects.  Such a great mix for them!

Dada & Hailey

Just a sweet pic I snapped this weekend of Brian and Hailey.  Our weather is really awesome right now in the low 90's in the day and 70's at night.  We spent most of Friday and Saturday outside.  Glorious! 

Sickie

Paige ran a fever all day today.  She would be fine an hour after I gave her ibuprofen, but would quickly fade to a nap.  She managed to get out and do some see-saw with Hailey for a bit.  We went to McDonald's Playland this week and she must have gotten a germ.  One of the other moms that I know has her five year old with the same symptoms and they went too.  Yuck!  I hope she's better tomorrow. 

Lines again?

Hailey lined her toys up along her crib rail tonight.  It brought back memories of Paige doing it too.  http://bandkstwogirls.blogspot.com/2011/01/little-objects.html

I'm interested to know if this is a sign of a personality trait?  I suppose we will eventually find out. 

11 Years

Yesterday Brian and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary.  It was a really nice day.  Also, it was a Friday, which was the day of the week that we got married on too...so it was fun to kinda relive the day.  Brian worked from home so that that super nice too!  My mom came over to watch the girls and get them to bed while we went to a fun dinner at The Keg.  The wait staff there are superb and when they each asked us how many years they were amazed at 11 and were asking us for marriage wisdom.  Nice, but kind of sad too that folks ask for that even at 11 years these days.  We also got complimentary champagne!  Yummy!

I had our wedding photo album out because I posted some pics from it on Facebook yesterday.  The girls saw it tonight and wanted to look at it.  I showed it to them for their bedtime story tonight.  It got Paige's imagination sparked and she was telling me all the details of her wedding...."it was at the ocean, over a bridge, and her Dada was there and Nanny and Auntie and Uncle GUM.  Papa and Granny too."  Hailey had to make sure to tell that her mama would be there.  "They had a beautiful cake and lite candles.  There were boats..." oh the description went on and on.  Then she wanted to show me her wedding dress and they both went to the dress up bin to show me their pretty white wedding dresses and of course they needed a tiara too.  It was super cute. 

Who knows if they will decide to marry?  I hope they do.  For me it is wonderful.  Lots of daily work, but enjoyable, fun work.  It takes alot to keep a relationship going.  But the rewards are wonderful and I would love for them to experience that joy.  I told they they would have whatever wedding dress they wanted.  They could wear mine or Nanny's or Granny's (which by the way, I just recently saw Granny's wedding dress and it is gorgeous!).  But there is no pressure, I them want to pursue and live their life doing what is best for them.  But I am secretly excited to be with them as they plan their weddings and help in whatever way they want or need. 

Pics from the week

These are just some different pictures of the girls from last week and this week. 

Glow sticks in the tub.  I turned out the lights too.

Playing instruments and marching in a parade for Mama and Nanny.

The night before I usually put sheets to color in the play area and Paige will color for a half hour while I catch a few more winks.  The Saturday morning, Paige got Hailey out of her crib and they both colored.  However, they also got Brian's Mac and turned on Netflix to watch Kipper.  How did they learn to do that?!

They got matching nightgowns that came with matching doll nightgowns too. 
Paige did not want her pic taken and her doll is on the floor behind her. 

Sillies on the floor before breakfast. 

Giggles, giggles, giggles!

"Scrub"

Hailey is our little 'neat nick.'  She loves to clean or "scrub" as she calls it.  "Mama, can I help scrub?"  It's very sweet.  Tonight she asked to scrub the sink.  No mama will say no to that request!

Calendar

Kudos to teachers!  Goodness, there is lots of prep work in getting lesson plans ready.  Tonight I put Velcro on the dates of a calendar I ordered and I felt like it took forever!  I hung it in the play area for a new activity  But it's all fun stuff.  Tomorrow I will introduce the Calendar as part of the History section of the Culture and Science section in our Montessori curriculum.  The age range is starting at 2 1/2 so they both should take interest.  We'll see how it goes!