vegan pumpkin pie + preparing our advent sky

i hope everyone had a happy thanksgiving. we had a lovely day. much thanks and appreciation to my family, who made our dinner time later to allow my little guy a restful nap. while the little guy napped, we made some homemade cranberry sauce with clementines and cinnamon to bring with us. it was very tasty. we also brought, my vegan pumpkin pie, made with coconut milk, bananas and coconut oil. my pumpkin pie, came in second (depending on who you ask) just behind a dreamy turtle pie that was so amazing. my little guy gobbled up his piece of pumpkin pie and we had some left to bring home that he has been eating every day. i'll be baking another one this week :)

 

after the thanksgiving holiday, we also put our christmas tree up and hung our stockings. it feels like the right time for our family, allowing us more time to prepare for the festivals and the holiday season. everyone wanting to help this year. 

tonight, after the children were tucked into bed, i prepare for the first day of advent. i wish you and your family a beautiful advent. thank you to everyone who kept me in their thoughts and thank you again for all your kind words and encouragement. 

finding my rhythm

school started and instantly a prevalent school schedule touched down like a tornado. my little one going off to school for another year and it is not what i envisioned with homeschooling in my heart, but it is our reality. in addition to a new school schedule, there were a lot of changes happening in our home. the little guy had just started sleeping through the night, i had survived months of sleep deprivation and i was in a better place to handle the daily ups and downs of poor feeding and to get our family back on track. it did take my body a while to adjust to being able to sleep but once i did get a good night's sleep, the world came alive to me, which is a beautiful thing. but seeing the world with eyes wide open, i saw a huge mountain of things to do around the house. there was so much to catch up on and i was completely overwhelmed thinking about all i had to do.

while, i still am trying to understand and accept the last 17 1/2 months, i know that i was doing the best that i could, but my mind, body and spirit were in crisis mode. i wish to be as far away from that way of living. it is more than wishing, it is having the awareness of what i could do for myself to keep myself calm and centered and slow paced. it really brings the importance of what truly matters in life, the health and happiness of my family. 

and while there was a lot to do around the house and getting everything ready for my daughter to start school, i am only one person. run around with my head chopped off would not have helped anyone out. it was a challenge to keep myself calm, centered and slow paced during this time and i continue to work on this daily. i work on being present. to be in nature, to find my breathe, to be in the moment, to enjoy sweet moments with my children, to nurture my patience and work on my rhythm. i get back to making time to be creative. and caring for myself. and when my head is spinning, i get outside or color mandalas. 

i try to keep my enormous to-do list out of my thoughts. i keep a small to-do list, mostly for memory but i find being able to cross items off my list very rewarding. the list is continuous and i prioritize as new items are added. i also committed to spending 15 minutes decluttering (from the flylady) i work on planning our meals and try out a few new recipes a week to take into account my little one's dietary needs. a very important step is my night time routine, which makes my mornings run smoothly.

of course, some days are smoother than others and i am still working on all this. 
during all this, i did end up having a tag sale against my better judgment and it proved to be too much. i became stressed and ended up getting sick. once again, it presented an opportunity to learn a lesson. life, it's funny that way.
and while, i have made great changes, i still have not found peace with everything, but i'll know when it is here. this nursery rhythm has been on my mind

row, row, row your boat
gently down the stream
merrily, merrily, merrily
life is but a dream

i have been working on this post for a while. still not having the exactly right words that i want. maybe still not being in the place i would like. but, either way, i good way to end.

navratri celebration

 :: we celebrate the beginning of autumn with new friends. seeking blessings for new endeavors and enjoying traditional music and dance.

(notice my little one wearing a playsilk. always a reason for a playsilk :) )

open eye meditation

a recent webcast over at the waldorf connection on 3 ways to create a nourishing home for your child offers some thoughts. danielle epifanie started off discussing the importance of "creating a space of breath around the child" and to be aware of the "what is presenting itself in front of us". heaven on earth author, sharifa oppenheimer, discussed that "rhythm is life". the inner rhythm of the parent is important (i could not agree more) steady. calm. nourishing. (sleep.) start with an open eye meditation. turn your attention to your heart. breathe and let the breath move in and out of your heart. let it swing in and out of your heart (love that) bring gratitude in. the importance of sitting in nature. lastly, lisa boisvert mackenzie talked about play and the child's world being one of awe and wonder. say, "humm, i wonder" to a child's questions and importance of the child being free to play.
check out the webcast here
websites mentioned:

margaretsgarden.org and elementalmother.com

our heaven on earth
celebrate the rhythm of life 
waldorf in the home

just as i remembered

we had great news last week. our little guy jumped up to the 10th percentile. i usually am right next to the nurse as she marks his measurements on the growth chart but this time i was was just playing around with him, although i did glanced over and saw that his numbers increased from his last check-up. i was not my old anxious self of needing to see exactly where he was on the charts. when our doctor came in and told us, i was shocked. warmth and comfort came over me and i became surrounded by huge arms that filled the small room. i felt secure and protected and i immediately knew it was my grandfather, who i know is still here with us.

my grandfather was not one of many words, although his presence was greatly felt. he has come to me a few times other times to let me know that things will be alright. once, after a medical procedure and two times the day i broke my collar bone when i was 6 months pregnant. my grandfather came to me when i just realized that i broke my collar bone and then in the emergency room when my concern for the baby escalated. comfort and warmth for a short while in-between the intense pain i was feeling.

my grandfather was the first man in my life and he was a constant figure in my life. we spent a lot of time together, he and i. if i slept over on the weekend, we would have an early breakfast together (my grandmother always slept in) it was always an omelet and he made the best omelets, i still can taste them but have yet to duplicate them. in the spring, we planted his garden together i remember so vividly the feeling of poking my finger down into the cool earth and how vested i was in the entire growing season. in the summer, i always arrived to a bowl of fresh ripe raspberries and a refreshing pitcher of ice tea with mint from the garden. in the winter, we gathered around the wood burning fireplace and we put in the sparkling colors. those colors were beautiful amidst the flames. and my grandfather always had a big cozy chair. there was always room in his chair for me and that comforting feeling is just as i remembered.

last bits of the summer sun

 

i love this time of year. autumn is beginning to make it's arrival. little bursts of autumn color can be seen amongst the lush greenery of the trees. a light sweater is required for our evening walk and cool, dewy mornings. but, by midday, the summer sun is so prevalent. we explored a nature center and seized the opportunity for the children to swim in their pools.

on the top of my to-do list is to brush up on my picture taking skills. i continue to try and capture vince's little hands and toes playing with the rainbows around our house. if he would just sit still it would be so much easier. i am always a second too late in capturing the pic. i also never imagined how difficult it would be to capture a picture of both children together. i have my work cut out for me. i also have to search out some camera options. any suggestions?

do you know how to fly?

do you know how to fly? well, i am trying to fly. but not up in the air, silly. i am trying to fly in my home. that's right. flying inside via help from the flylady.

i have searched around her website (she also has books) and i think i have the jist of what she is trying to say. basically, consistently do her suggested routines so that they become second nature to you. you will always be a step ahead in your cleaning, and you'll be dressed and ready for company at any time. you'll have a clean sink and bathroom all the time.

i signed up for the daily emailing list, which is rather lengthy, but i am just working on the daily flight plan and mission (it follows the daily flight plan)  i am focusing on my bedtime routine, morning routine and decluttering in small increments. there is a weekly home blessing, where she wants you to set the clock and do all the sweeping, moping, dusting, etc in 1 hour. it takes me far longer to do this, but i think i will be getting more efficient as a practice this more? we'll see because i am not sure if this is possible and i do have a smaller house.

she has a monthly focus and this month is the before bed routine and beginner steps on her website.

anyone else try flying yet?

mandalas and the first days of school

school was about to begin and homeschooling still was not in the cards for me this year so i chose the next best thing. we transitioned my daughter to a new school. it was a big decision to make. in making the decision, i sought support and i was able to make a decision from a calm and peaceful place. of course, some family was supportive and some family can not think of possibilities outside of what they know. in the past, i was one who let myself be overcome with stress in making such a big decision. this is such a huge progression for me. thank goodness i am getting more sleep.

coming up to the first day, i have been waking up earlier each day in preparation for the start of school. i wake up before the children and i am greeted by a rising sun that casts a warm glowing light throughout our downstairs. i am able to get a coffee, start breakfast and start the day slow. these are my first days of waking before the children and i remember how great it is to start the day this way and it is definitely a time that one can have a little mama time :) wink wink  

my mind was busy and i could have found a hundred things to do on that first day, but i didn't. i was conscious to keep a slow pace. i spent time with the little guy, we started the dance between inhaling and exhaling, bring more rhythm to our day. while the little one napped, i enjoyed some tea, read a little and worked on some mandalas. the house was noisy, mostly answering the little one's calls to his "sissy" but yet the house felt quiet. i am missing my little girl terribly.

here's a link to the mandalas above
more mandalas here

drum roll please

after 17 1/2 months, my son is sleeping through the night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it has been 10 nights or so, i actually lost count. my son's diet has expanded to include coconut milk yogurt, coconut milk ice cream and peanut butter and he has an upcoming checkup. my body has just begun adjusting to being able to sleep and the world is unfolding more and more each day. i feel alive, but i feel like i have so much to process, so many thoughts, so many feelings that i suppressed or not thought about logically because of my sleepless situation. i feel that i have so much to catch up on, so many things i would like to do, so many books i would like to read, so many things i would like to make.


but i tell myself to take it slow, allowing myself a new start by choosing healthy choices for my mind, body and spirit. allowing peace and calm to be part of my life. i am get back to a regular sleep pattern. i work on a slow and peaceful bedtime routine, filled with hot showers, steeping tea, a book (still reading simplicity parenting) i ground myself in the now and work at establishing new rhythms to my day (and my daughter is off to full day first grade, more on that later). i am trying out new recipes my little guy and my new found joy is sweeping. i used to pull out the vacuum out due to our 2 dogs and 2 children and our inside/outside routine. it was taking so much energy to lug the vacuum around and i was just so exhausted afterward. and the sweeping is light, playful, and very rewarding in many ways. i am also trying to commit to an opportunity to take some time for myself once a week. and i know i am worthy of the time, worthy of nurturing myself, i just have to put it into action. and i write it down as a little step closer towards my commitment to self-care. how do you find time to nurture yourself throughout the day?

juicy peaches

i found this awesome recipe, just in time to enjoy some juicy, deliciously peaches in season. i lessened some of the sugar. it is so yummy i had to share.

wip - skirt for a mermaid doll

:: this was an impromptu project my little one thought of, an hour before she was off to a sleepover with her grandparents. she has been engaged in play with her mermaid after our seasonal nature table changed to incorporated treasures from the sea shore. after fiddling around with her tail, she discovered the doll has legs underneath and her play has taken a new journey, full of adventure and new lands to explore.

:: my daughter drew a sketch and instructions were given in detail. the little guy was napping, we had the supplies and i could not honestly give my daughter a reason not to make a skirt for her mermaid. 

:: an hour or so went by, my little one had already left for her grandparents' house, and i was cutting out the finishing touches on the double-tiered wave pattern. and this little project taught me a valuable lesson that i needed to relearn. to take a chance. 


for years, i have wanted to make my little one a doll. and one day make clothing for my children and knit them sweaters to keep them warm. and to one day make a quilt like my grandmother used to make. i have long searched the internet for doll making kits, supplies and books, only to find a reason not to proceed forward with making a doll. afraid of failing or even worse, making a mistake and picking out the wrong yarn for hair (that darn perfectionism coming into play) and i have searched flickr for quilt patterns and inspiration, only to feel like the task was too big to take on. and i guess at times, we can put up road blocks or little speed bumps in our own path. but life, of course, is about learning to overcoming them.

:: and my first attempt at the mermaid's skirt did not work. i learned from it, adjusted the pattern and made another one. and here's the beginning of taking more chances.

last night, my little guy needed his mama's comfort. i am still in my jams (pajamas) i have not looked in the mirror nor brushed my hair back, my body is achier than usually. my thoughts drifting and i gave myself TWO tasks today. to find and make a delicious new meal for this evening and tomorrow evening with my 2 beautiful eggplants. and my second task is to have a calm, peaceful ending to my day. giving myself time to savor some tea, mediate, think about what tomorrow may bring and curl up with a book this evening. 

so, i went searching for some recipes and here's what i came up with, some will be modified to be dairy free:

grilled eggplant topped with goat cheese and tomato

rainy day rigatoni here

vegan muffuletta

stuffed foccacia with roasted eggplant and oregano

trenette with eggplant and basil pesto

15 dips and spreads for summer parties

10 vegan lunch ideas

10 vegan breakfast ideas

 

i decided to grill the eggplant because no matter which recipe i decide upon, the grill brings out an amazing flavor. and i remember how much i enjoy this part of the season when we have delicious eggplant to nourish ourselves with. i decided on the rainy day rigatoni for tonight and vegan muffuletta for tomorrow. and i look forward to the trenette with eggplant and basil pesto next. what is your favorite eggplant recipe?

a new plan

our new journey is re-establishing our family rhythm and learning to nurture oneself. part of our plan is being helped through new services my son is receiving. the wonderful part of the program is that the occupational therapist comes out to your home, observes and offers suggestions. there was high hopes that after we determined his intolerance to milk protein and eliminated milk protein from his diet that he would start eating in a healthy manner and his poor feeding would discontinue. everyone also hoped that my son would outgrown his milk protein intolerance after his first birthday. so we have kind of been in limbo, until recently.

after introducing milk to my son's diet, very slowly, for the past six weeks, we determined that he can not tolerate milk protein. he also has tracked consistently at the 5% for weight on the growth chart, so we still are working with his poor feeding.

our new plan includes:

1. helping establish a healthy eating and sleeping pattern for my little guy. we have adjusted his eating routine where he will eat 5 times a day, instead of every hour and a half. (he needed meals every hour and a half back before. he was so small and constantly active. he now will take some time to sit and read a book and he also takes some time to cuddle so we felt we were able to work with changing his eating routine) now that we are establishing a consistent eating routine, with meals spaced out more so he could experience a feeling of hunger and the ability to feel fulfilled with food, it has already greatly helped his napping routine. he now sharing a bedroom with his sister, which brings us to

2. getting mama a healthy block of sleep. transiting my son out of our bed and into his crib was a very hard decision. i had too many people that love the both of us urging me to do this and ultimately i decided that this was the best decision for our family. i slept on the floor many nights and watched the sun rise, but this is getting better

3. cooking without milk protein and eggs. (eggs is something that we will try in his diet in the future. my daughter was allergic to egg until she outgrew it at 3 years of age, so this is why he has been egg free)

new waldorf kindergarten resources

:: there are a few books that i use and reference quite frequently. first and foremost is the book, you are your child's first teacher by rahima dancy. i find myself going back and re-reading chapters time and time again. 

i am finding simplicity parenting by kim john payne to be very useful. i am still reading it and have already utilized the book in simplifying my daughter's bedroom. i have started working on small sections around the house and we are doing our second round of simplifying the kids' bedroom and going through the bookshelf, which we did not get a chance to go through yet. kim john payne spoke on the waldorf connection. i jotted down some notes that i am hoping to post soon.

a real treasure is, a child's seasonal treasury by betty jones, which is out-of-print (the first part of the book could be found on google books. it would be wonderful to copy as much as you could) i am still introducing new ideas from this book and i have used it for years now. the book includes verses, poems, movements, fingerplays, games, activities, handwork, baking and cooking for each season. it also is a great introduction to mornings, mealtimes, cleaning up, evening verses, with roughly 2 verses for each. the treasury also contains the birthday anticipation verse as well as a number and alphabet verse that could be used for a first grade resource.

another great book that i can not say enough about is earthways, by carol petrash. the book includes seasonal activities and crafts and seasonal nature table ideas. it also offers valuable earth-friendly tips and ways to create a natural indoor and outdoor play space. there is also a tremendous resource section in the back of the book, included seasonal book recommendations. it is also on google books and you could definitely use the index to plan your projects. 

for songs, there are nursery rhymes, folk songs and a series of songbooks that i really love is from naturally you could sing that i would recommend. the song books from naturally you could sing include a cd, which really helps if you do not know how to read music. we own sing a song of the seasons and i have used it for years, with movement and fingerplays in circle time or on our car rides. their website includes a list of contents for each of the songbooks, including this is the way we wash-a-day, sing a song with baby, lavender's blue dilly dilly, and the wonder of lullabies. i discovered some new lullabies that i really enjoy singing, as well.

for verses, i really like seven times the sun by shea darian, is a wonderful resources, which provides verses and songs for morning, mealtime, play, work, quiet, healing, bedtime, family time, personal renewal and peacemaking. there are a section of family rituals, a passageway for parents and book recommendations for each chapter. there are a few songs that i use all the time and really never would have thought to use at these times because i never really experienced someone singing at these times, in particularly for healing and quiet times.

quiet moments  by shea darian

quiet as the wings of a butterfly

quiet as the gentle falling snow

quiet as the light of a firefly

quiet as a seed starts to grow

quiet as the clouds that are drifting by

quiet as the rocks by the sea

quiet as the mist cross a country road

quiet as the wind in the trees

loving arms  by shea darian 

loving arms that hold you

loving hands that care

loving eyes that see your pain

guide you back to health again

loving arms that hold you

loving arms that care

another series which is great for verses is the wynstones series, which i see cited all the time. we have gateways. along with verses and songs for morning, evening and birthdays, gateways also has a section of fairy tales that are shorter in length. at this time, i can not remember anything so i do use index cards (or cards from our watercolor paintings) or sometimes i only have short amounts of time, which makes this there fairy tale section a great resource for puppet shows.

for stories, of course, a grimm's fairy tales is an essential going into the first grade. we also have a tasha tudor's fairy tales, which has some abbreviated tales that might work well. an enormous resource for FREE stories could be found at www.mainlesson.com. 10397 stories to be exact. WOW. you can search the site by authors, books, stories and curriculum. here is the waldorf kindergarten book list.

i have a relatively young journey into waldorf and i have discovered the parenting passageway to be so resourceful. carrie is well versed in waldorf, homeschooling and shares valuable parenting information and book reviews. i am really enjoying the new energy that her postings are bringing me, i have so many postings bookmarked. you could spend hours over there. carrie has a bunch regarding resources, that you might find helpful:

which early years book should i buy?
fairy tales, books and storytelling with little ones

resources for the waldorf kindergarden years

favorite waldorf resource guide #1: joyful movement

favorite waldorf resource guide #2: simplicity parenting by kim john payne and lisa ross

favorite waldorf resource guide #3: melisa nielsen's be a beacon program

favorite waldorf resource guide #4: the files of marsha johnson's yahoo group

favorite waldorf resource guide #5: get more movement in your homeschooling

www.movementforchildhood.com ,  www.healingeducation.org , and the book, Movement Journeys and Circle Adventures by Nancy Blanning and Laurie Clark

review of a lifetime of joy

if you are like me, this is something new to me. there can be a lot that i feel i need to research and i could spend hours searching the web to find more information. it can be overwhelming trying to choose the right thing. but, i have learned that it just is about doing and being with my children, baking with them, cleaning with them, singing with them, being in nature with them, creating joyful moments with them and making connections. slowing down, taking time and nurturing relationships by giving, receiving and responding with love, warmth and truth. rhythm is also key, i am working at re-establish it here because i have experienced the harmony that rhythm brings.

marsh johnson, of waldorfhomeeducators@yahoogroups.com, can put you at easy with her words. she writes the following...


Playing, helping, resting, imagining, thinking, painting, modeling,
experimenting with blocks, logs, string, trees, mud, wind, cooking,
eating, sharing, giggling heaps of preschoolers in a rainbow house,
planting and gardening, sewing, fingerknitting, listening, singing,
playing with bubbles and learning to cut with scissors and use glue,
and sitting on a warm human lap…….hearing the stories, hearing
the words, creating the images inside those adorable curly and stick
straight haired heads………..this is the intellectual development
of the human child in the best sense of the word: addressing all the
aspects, the head, the heart, and the hands.

At home, you can accomplish this so much more easily, in a sense,
because YOU are the creator of your world. Your home, your schedule,
your possessions, your choices, your stories, your food, your tone of
voice, your joy and creativity, you are the queens and kings of your
child’s universe, the King Peter and Queen Susan and Aslan all rolled
into one! In a sense, you are the suns of your galaxes, and your
children dance around you in their own ellipses…as such, you can
select and create elements that will shine on all of us….now and in
the future times.


are there any resources that you love or find helpful? please share

summer solstice wet felted doily

:: we made our doily using the wet felting process. here are some instructions on making it, from the other day. as the piece became firm, we were able to add some details to it. we added details to each side individually, using a small amount of fairy sprinkles:) and gently rolled in the beginning. adding detail to each side gives you two different looks and our doily could even be hung on a wall or used on our nature table. smaller ones would be great for coasters. wet felting is pretty fun and i really like the end result.i am still getting the hang of it and used to the process. 


have you tried wet felting? if so, what have you made? i'd like to try something new

moments from our summer solstice

:: magical floating flowers from all year round and a silk streamer i made for my little one. i also made up a little sun decoration the same way i did for rhythm of the home. our paper flowers flattened as soon as we placed them into the water, as i ventured off the directions. (i thought the beeswax would allow them to keep their cupped shape, but they did not) they were lovely for breakfast.

:: a fairy basket filled with treasures i found around the house.

:: the little guy discovering some rainbows from our sun catcher just before he went down for his nap. my daughter was so happy celebrating and asked about a treasure hunt. how could i say no. so, i quickly came up with a handful of clues, which took her on an adventure about the house and the yard. during the treasure hunt we enjoyed some orange tea, searched our gardens for newly blooming flowers and read a seasonal book out on our swing. the last clue brought her to a basket of golden hued roving for a wet felting project ~ a sun doily.

:: we started by laying out short pieces of wool roving to create a circular shape on bubble wrap. the pieces were fluffed apart and put down in thin layers, alternating the direction of the wool. to create depth used a bunch of different colors in the same colorway. we used yellow, golden yellow, pale yellow, tangerine, and pumpkin. we then we added some fairy sprinkles of soapy, warm water before we tightly rolled up the wrap.

 ::it was gently rolled on the ground then unrolled to add more fairy sprinkles. then we wrapped up the bubble wrap in the opposite direction and repeated the process a bunch of times. i completed the last few rolls with piping hot, soapy water which really felted up the edge.

 :: zesting and juicing some oranges for our tea and muffins

my little one also loved this verse from a little verse from a child's seasonal treasury.

sunshine fairies by betty jones

we are the sunshine fairies

and with our sparks of light

we shimmer and glimmer in the air

hugging flower with colors bright

hope you having a beautiful solstice. we have a few more pictures of our sun doilie that i'll show you later. please stop by wonderment (my new community space) to share stories and pictures about your summer solstice celebration.

happy solstice

:: happy summer solstice.

ideas for planning your summer solstice

please join me over at wonderment to discuss and share ideas in planning your summer solstice celebration. 

wonderment is a space that i created for capturing childhood moments of magic and joy. i hope that we could share and exchange ideas, stories, inspirations and moments of wonderment that bring us to look at the world in a different way ~ through the eyes of our children.

connect. share. inspire moments of magic and joy. visit wonderment

starting on a new journey

with some help with the little guy there is a new feeling in the air and i am riding a new wave of hope. my life has revolved around my son's feeding schedule, it has been rigorous with feedings every hour and a half and it feels like i am still caring for a newborn baby. we are very fortunate to have some help that started coming into our home and offering suggestions to fit my son's needs, while finding balance with our family's needs.

help is coming just as i am unraveling. i have tried so hard to keep up with it all, but it has taken a toll on my family and on my health. my words would be better, if i said, that i let this take it's toll on me. you see, i am still learning how to truly care for myself and nurture myself. i really learned to take care of myself when i became a mother. and through learning about rhythm and waldorf, i learned to nurture myself and my family. through our baking days, gardening days, painting days, soup making day, and nature walks i begun to heal that part of myself that needed to be healed.

but on the days that i have had too much on my plate and did not sleep enough, are the days that i resort back to not taking care of myself. it has been off and on like this for the last 15 month, which has caught up with me and i can not deny it any more. there has been an intervention and i am so grateful to start on a new path. my work will be to establish a good, healthy rhythm for myself and my family. so this is my new journey.

a rose of hope

:: i made a sweet little rose barrette for my daughter from this pattern for her school graduation. i am so looking forward to the end of the school year and for our summer... a big, endless summer where we feel the wind underneath our wings. some new rhythms are beginning to be established, some additional help and support for my son has begun and we are riding a new wave of hope. i hope you'll notice more of the old me back again. well, still me, only with new energy for adventures and challenges and creating. and more growing as a mother, woman, wife and nurturer. (more of that later)

simplicity parenting workshop

kim john payne talked over at the mindful connection. he is the author of the book, simplicity parenting.

every child has a telos, a very special, divine intention when they come into this world. and when we give children an uncluttered life, the telos can be revealed. if fast-paced, stressed life, the telos struggles to gain expression.

simplicity parenting is about creating a vessel for the child's intention, for the telos of the child. allowing them to be what they are supposed to be or what they desire to become. the fast paced life get between us and our hopes and dreams for our family.

changes for a shift

1. simplifying toys, books, clothes

less books, if you want a child to delve deeply into books instead of skim through them.

2. rhythm and predictability in children's lives

children thrive on rhythm. rhythm is a prime vehicle for moving children beyond the primitive brain, fight or flight lobes. children have empathy, creativity, children interested in others, they see cause and effect. makes discipline easier

3. scheduling

to have a balance between busy time, creative time and relaxed time. "gift of boredom" be more boring than the boredom. hold back on the over-scheduling of kids. we have a life-time of socializing. socializing done through the family, caring for brothers and sisters, being with mother and father and being little workers in the home, doing meaningful things in the home. (posed question to a parent) did you ever have a play-date??? and you turned out alright

4. screening out the adult world and being very careful around media

being careful abut what you say in front of children. before you say something in front of your children, ask yourself, is it kind? is it necessary? is it true? young children need to love the world before they question it.

websites mentioned:

simplicityparenting.com/blog

gathering rose petals

:: our annual trip to the elizabeth rose garden. there is so much to explore and discover in addition to the roses. there happens to be an amazing tree that is wonderful for climbing in the perennial garden and we are always so excited to discover a nest of baby robins. and weddings!!!