Notes From a Small Town

birthday crowns

Among my our new family traditions is the very popular birthday crown. We started with Ronan's fourth birthday and it seems to be one of the easiest handmade birthday gifts to give (and make). It's simple, doesn't take up much space and is genuinely well-received (always nice for a handmade gift to be well-loved). Plus, I get to stretch my creative limits and consider the personality of the child and how the crown will be used. Each time I make one, I think it is my favorite. And, then another comes along. A recap of the past few months...

...delicate and full of brightness...

 

 

...fit for a princess...

...calm and playful (even with a bit of a cold).

 

I love this picture - the boy, his crown and the action of a mind-blowing sneeze.

watercolor painting

Last year, when I began reading about the Waldorf philosophy of education, I was intrigued by the emphasis on art and handiwork. During my Montessori training (and subsequent teaching) there seemed to be a lot of lip service paid to art. It was something to be admired, but it was not at the forefront of a Montessori classroom. Many of the activities were craft projects - created to express art - but separate from real life.

So, I was drawn to the idea of creating and crafting with children- while they assisted or not. During the past year, I worked on craft projects while Ronan "helped" or worked on his own project - or went on playing by himself. He saw me crafting on a regular basis. And, while my regular crafting has slowed down to a trickle, I've been more aware of making sure he has some art-based projects to call his own. (With a little help, of course...)

As I am new to wet watercolor painting, I enjoyed that this book described some "typical" types of paintings (by age) and emphasized the process and feel of the art. I especially liked that Ronan was included in all aspects of this set-up: he wet his paper with the sponge and helped to mix the paints. It's always more fun for me when I get to paint my own picture while simultaneously watching the deep concentration that the paintbrush brings out in my son.

it's a start

That, my friends, is a swatch. My very first, actually. I have decided to try my hand at a cheater's hat - one with a sewn seam - from my very own-designed pattern (double-ribbed border) using this book . At some point two weeks ago, I had a moment of clarity and I re-read the section on hats - and actually understood it.

But, in order to follow the pattern, you need to make a swatch to determine how many stitches to cast on. Now, I must admit that this will be a slow project since I still choose sleep and cleaning over crafting time, but I know that soon I will have a bit more hands-free time to devote to yarn and fabric. I am certainly reading and dreaming enough about fibers to fulfill my crafty need. If only I could learn to sew while sleeping...

I'm not sure if it is the challenge or really - the portability - of knitting that has attracted me to this ancient art. Either way, one lucky husband will eventually be getting his very own hat - in an orange that only a Gator alumni could appreciate!

Of course, a possible future Gator came into the room and wondered what I was making. A scarf? No, a hat for Daddy. He then declared that he, too, needed a hat. After I promised him a hat (yes, it was necessary), he sat down on my lap and asked me to show him how to knit. We did a bit together and he attempted some on his own. Hmm...I might be getting this sooner than I thought.

Reading about Waldorf

Lately, the stars have aligned and I have been able to get in a lot of reading. Plus, it seems as if there have been a lot of interesting books that have crossed my path during those rare minutes of web-browsing.

These days, my thoughts have been occupied with encouraging creativity in the daily life of our son. There does seem to be a cultural shift toward noting the importance of a creative mind. Perhaps it is backlash from all of the standardized testing?

As a family of educators, we have very strong opinions on the state of testing, but we are also very, very open to new ideas (even ideas that say such testing is beneficial).

These books came into the library last week and have been on my nightstand ever since. I am intrigued by some of the ideas in the Waldorf philosophy of education (and not so impressed with others). I wanted to know more about the man behind the Waldorf philosophy, Rudolf Steiner.

I have made my way through half of his biography and I must say, it is definitely not what I expected. As a Montessorian, I seem to have more a practical, scientific outlook on life and education. Certainly, I use my intuition and feelings to make decisions, but Steiner seemed only to use these emotions.

While Maria Montessori was a physician who used observation as her scientific method to devise an educational theory, Steiner seemed to have created one out of one underlying philosophy: a person must be whole (mind, body, spirit). Spirituality and inner respect play a large role in his philosophy.

I have to say, it is not what I expected and I am a bit skeptical, but I am enjoying reading how such an approach could garner so much success.