Welcoming Nature

I have been thinking about spring since I placed my perennial order and attended the CT Flower Show. Seeing all the spring flowers in bloom was wonderful and I can not wait for spring.

I am in need of some plants in our house to liven things up. Our last remaining greenery was some bamboo. I think I am going to pick up a new arrangement. In the meantime, we have some pussy willows in a vase, but, they are disappearing quickly, as my little one, likes making pussy willow soup with the buds. We, also,

planted some forget-me-nots seeds in a little terra cotta planter. I love the tiny blue blossoms, with the striking yellow eye. Yesterday, we created a dish garden with the moss we found in our yard.

I, also, have been thinking about new discoveries for my little one and creating a more natural play environment. As I mentioned, the plastic things have been adding up since Christmas. I needed to clear them out. Her little trunk was packed full of the disney princesses and accessories, toys she hardly played with. So, I just did it. I took most of the plastic toys out and introduced a few new toys. I had a

silk crown, a wooden butterfly life cycle set, and 6 new baskets for her. The wooden life cycle is from Anne Moze.

We do have a few plastic toys that will be staying. Among them are: a disney music box, her my little ponies and her tinkerbell doll. These are the ones she really has an attachment with. My goal is not to add anymore plastic, made in China, commercialized toys and to stay true to what I feel is good for my little one. Sure, I had a barbie, watched cartoons, and ate McDonald's happy meals. I can not pretend that these things are good for her mind and body, or her spirit. I know there is better, I may have to work harder to find it, but I know it is there, so there is no turning back. I have to do what my heart says and be assertive in what I want, what I need and what I believe.

Have to go, we are going on a treasure hunt and our boat of pillows is ready. Good day.

Stuck in the mud

My little one put together a garden dish with some of the moss we had found in the yard. This activity can be found in Earthways by Carol Petrash. I love the book's recommendation of using a shell to create a little pond. She, also, added a found rock.

After that was done, my little one ran loose in the yard, jumping in every puddle she could find. The mud presented some new experiences. 

Moonbeam moonbeam

It felt like spring this morning. Towards the afternoon, the sky became grey and it was started to sprinkle. My little one's "workshop", her play area, was a bit dark. So, her flashlight came out and she lit up her little angel. 

Moonbeam moonbeam shining on me

I see a light shining on (the angel) 

After lunch, my little one cuddled up on the couch. 

After her nap, I hope we will make it outside. 

We made it outside

We enjoyed our afternoon outside. The sun was out and the weather was mild. We played in a sunny spot of the side of our garage. We discovered our shadows and some moss on our rock border. We had a really good time. The snow is melting quickly, but we still managed to get in a few sled rides with what we have left. Daddy made a little snow hill in the yard, which makes a quick little ride and a tough picture to capture. We had a little stream meandering through the snow. My little one had so much fun in the mud puddles. She jumped in all of them and was soaking wet. 

Going outside after lunch is working out perfect. After that, we come in for a little snack and a nap. Our days are running smoothly. We have some rhythm to our day. Something, we have lost since my little one started school. 

This brings me to think for about the rhythm of our week. I am going to try this and see how it works. 

Monday- drawing or modeling day

Tuesday- gardening day

Wednesday- nature craft

Thursday- surprise day

Friday- chopping vegetables and making soup day

Saturday- baking bread or muffins day

Sunday- watercolor day

I also wanted to mention that Oprah's webcast about Eckhart Tolle's book, "A New Earth", is on tonight. 

Nature's toys, not lipstick

I am not one for ice cold weather, I like the warmth of the indoors. These last few days of playing in the snow has made me realize that I am been sheltering myself and my little one inside too much. I am making a conscious effort to get us outside. 

One of my favorite books has become "Earthways" by Carol Petrash. The winter section talks about creating an indoor play space with natural materials. Natural elements such as, stones, branches, shells, acorns, seed pods, nuts, pine cones, and crystals offer open-ended play that allow our little one's imagination and creativity to flourish. So, I started sharing a story about being in the forest on a snowy day... As my little one engaged, I allowed myself to sit back and enjoy the moment. The polished stones became the songbirds that frequent our feeder. What a beautiful story.

It is wonderful to go on a little walk with your little one and collect natural material that are right in your back yard. But, also adding material for your little one to discover is also another part of creating a play space.

Last night, we had asparagus. The ends of the asparagus made great paint brushes. 

Thinking of purple asparagus from White Flower Farm. Basil, dill, cilantro and herbs for these space saving planters from pottery barn. I wonder if my husband would be up for building something similar. I already know what he is thinking. 

This afternoon, as I write my post, my daughter is enjoying going through an old drawer full of make-up and jewelry. I maybe put on make-up once a week, since my little one was born, which has been more of a change that others are having a hard time with more so than myself. I have changed, motherhood will change you. Putting on make-up, styling my hair and accessorizing was part of my regular routine. It was so liberating to finally realize that I did not have to put on make-up everyday. And that it does not define who I am. I want that for my daughter, too. I want her to wear make-up if she wants to but not because she thinks she needs to or should do. 

Now, my daughter is crying about keeping my lipstick and she now found nail polish, too.

A New Earth

Is anyone else planning to embarking on the 12 week course, Oprah is offering on the Eckhart Tolle book, "A New Earth"? I have decided to take part and have begun reading the book. It took me a while to get through the first chapter. I was wondering if this book was really for me, was it going to be helpful, would I understand it?

I highlighted only a few sentences and had marked the page with a few comments, but mostly, I was going back and rereading. Although, I had some doubt, I kept reading.

The first chapter asks an important question, who am I? I am a medium for the positive interactions of my spirit, my essence to interact with others.

The last part of the chapter, lead me to continue reading the book. It states, "heaven is not a location but refers to the inner realm of consciousness". The book gave me a truth that when a loved one passes, their being, their spirit, the essence of who they are stays with us. Their effect on us is lasting. What a beautiful truth.

If you are having trouble with the first chapter, I would recommend that you try to get through it and watch the Oprah webcast this Sunday. I am sure they are going to go through the chapter very thoroughly. The second chapter is better. It starts off talks about looking at a flower, a bird, or a stone without imposing a word or title on it. To just let it be. To experience the beauty, the wonder, and the moment as it is. Allow yourself to experience a sense of awe. Allow yourself to appreciate that every breathe you take is a miracle.

I feel that I have been able to experience this through being a parent. My little one is a miracle. How children experience things is just beautiful. It is so pure. Being a stay at home mom for the last 4 years, I have had many opportunities to experience many moment with her and to experience life through her eyes. I have been able to experience her sense of awe, and her amazement in the littlest of things. But those experiences are between making breakfast, doing a load of laundry, getting lunch together, cleaning the house, and cooking dinner. If I were to allow myself to be present in every moment, experience every moment with all of my senses, how beautiful every moment could be, how clear everything would be.

Somehow through life, we loose touch with our sense of awe. We lose touch with what is important in life, what should be important. Our ego wants more things, wants bigger things, wants better things. We think we are what we have or do not have. We buy something to make us feel important, to make us feel better than others. In the end, none of these material things will matter. In the end, you will be remembered by how your spirit touched someone else, not by the car you drove, the size of your house or the size of your diamond ring, and not by the designer handbag you carried.

You will be remembered how your spirit touched someone else and the sights, sounds, smells, and textures you allowed yourself to feel in that very moment will live on. The beauty of the sunshine was warming you face, the feeling of blades of grass between your toes and the joy you experienced as you did cartwheels with your best friend.

Life is about allowing yourself to be present to experience the wonder of every moment.

Activities for our days

Here are a few pictures of some activities that we have done in the last few weeks. I especially like to incorporate nature into our activities. Sometimes, the glitter and confetti come out. I am still trying to find that balance. Natural sights, smells, sound, and texture offer an enriching experience.

Just a basket of shells kept us busy the other day. We decorated a picture frame with shells and my daughter had some open-ended play. How rewarding.

Some warm weather came our way and we enjoyed a day at the park. We collected some pine needle branches, which sparked our next activity. Pine needle paintings. The smell of pine filled the house.

Our senses were delighted while we decorated oranges with cloves. We found this activity in the book, "Earthways". After, you could roll the oranges in cinnamon and let them dry. As a child, we made these into ornaments by attaching a ribbon. Dad had fun, too. Can you tell which one is his?

The other day brought us snow, which always brings the birds to our feeders and their little tracks. After the snow, came the sleet. What a great day to make hot chocolate. We used up all the hersey kisses we had.

I really am big on activities that involve building, constructing and manipulating. Regular old wooden blocks are perfect. This Haba game is fun and colorful and offers a variety of geometric pieces. Puzzles offer children opportunities to develop problem-solving skills.

Today, we collected some objects from nature that we found from around the house: pine needles, coneflower seeds, and dried carnation petals. Then, my little one arranged and glued them on a paper wreath.

For dinner tonight, we had a mixed green salad with steak, pistachios, red grapes, pears, crumbs of gorgonzola cheese, and balsamic dressing. So easy.