The birdseed picture- Finley's first big mess. He came in to me and tapped me on the leg to show me the birdseed stuck all over his hands and face. I cleaned him up before I thought to take a picture but I did take one of the mess.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Some pics from my camera
The birdseed picture- Finley's first big mess. He came in to me and tapped me on the leg to show me the birdseed stuck all over his hands and face. I cleaned him up before I thought to take a picture but I did take one of the mess.
I know, it's been forever! I've been so busy. I promise I will be better. I still don't have time to write a big post but I wanted to share this.
I think this describes Waldorf very well. It is so what I want for Finley- either at home or in a school setting. I feel very strongly about Waldorf because it was introduced to me at the Dr. Hauschka training I attended when I was pregnant. I haven't ever actually worked for Dr. Hauschka, I was trained then never used. I believe the only reason that happened in my life was to introduce me to Dr. Rudolph Steiner and anthroposophy for the purpose of Finley. It's like he showed it to me. I want to incorporate the philosophy into our lives and activities but I don't know where to begin. I am such a scatterbrained person that I don't know how I could ever be that organized, consistent, and aware. It is something that I am going to educate myself on and always strive for.
Head, Heart, Hands - Weaving Waldorf Education into Home Learning
by Waldorf Family Network
I watch our nine-year-old daughter as she eyes the many baskets of wool yarn in the small store near our home. The rainbow of naturally dyed colored skeins is plentiful as we search for the "right yarn" needed to complete her next knitting project - a winter hat. This isn't just one of our everyday errands. This is actually an important task in the seasonal rhythm of our educational life as we prepare to take on various handwork projects during the cold months ahead. It is a task that also connects us in a deeper way with the educational philosophy that is rooted within the very framework of our family: Waldorf education.
Founded in Europe by Austrian philosopher and scientist, Rudolf Steiner, Waldorf education began when Steiner gave a series of lectures to the workers of the Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory in Germany. Inspired by Steiner's message, the owner of the factory requested that Steiner establish a school for the children of the factory's employees. Steiner agreed to do so, though only under certain conditions, including that the leading role in the running of the school be performed by those who would be working directly with the children, and with a minimum of government interference. After a period of training for the teachers, the Free Waldorf School opened in 1919. With its roots in a philosophy called "anthroposophy", Steiner designed a curriculum that would encourage freethinking within children rather than catering to the requirements of governmental forces.
The word anthroposophy comes from the Greek words "anthro" (human) and "sophia" (wisdom). Regarded as a spiritual science rather than a religion, anthroposophy offers a means of study and practical observation through which one can awaken to one's own inner nature and to that of the outer world. It is through this awakening that Steiner believed that authentic creativity and a deep reverence for all life could be fostered. In addition to education, Steiner also applied this direct knowledge and experience to other subjects, including medicine and farming. While the basis for teaching methods is not taught directly to children, anthroposophy provides the foundation for a comprehensive educational model that aims to develop children who will be clear in thought, balanced in feeling and assured in action. It is this holistic model of addressing the curriculum through the "head, heart and hands" that distinguishes Waldorf from that of other models. More than merely "developmental education", what helps to make Waldorf unique is not only which subjects are taught, but also when and how. Based upon Steiner's idea that specific forces and capabilities unfold within a child in distinct seven-year cycles, the Waldorf model is designed to provide "the right impetus, at the right time". Through each cycle the child also has particular needs – met by the adults around them which serve to empower and guide development.
Understanding the "temperaments" or nature of each child is also paramount to the process. The true task of Waldorf education is one that is designed to awaken capacities within the child, not merely to impose intellectual content.
Of particular interest to many is the developmental juncture Steiner termed the "nine-year change". Often a time marked with a sense of separation, children at this crossroad stand between the world of imitation and a newly emerging sense of self. The curriculum addresses this turning point through tales of hardship involving others who have gone before us and have gloriously survived, such as the early pioneers. The topics of house building and farming are studied, as children learn how people all over the world have made homes for themselves. These subjects are introduced at a time when children tend to feel particularly insecure about their own surroundings and are not yet sure of their place in the world. These studies literally "ground" children in a way like no other. Children engaged in Waldorf education learn by doing - whether it is a lesson in mathematics or language arts, or building a structure or farming the earth.
There is so much more that could be said about Waldorf education. Our task as a family, however, is how to translate the philosophy, curriculum and methodology into our own home learning environment. Having been in a Waldorf school for four years prior to educating at home, we were already clear about the merits of the philosophy and curriculum. The decision to educate at home with our two children brought many questions. How would we "bring Waldorf home"? Should we even try? What would such a path look like?
Our home embraces the notion of "rhythm" - one that is daily, weekly and seasonally. There is an "in-breath" and an "out-breath" to our lives that is intended to connect us on a deeper level to nature and to our inner selves.
The morning is more of an in-breath - a time best used for taking in new material. The out-breath must naturally follow in the afternoon - a time better suited for activity. The evening has its own rhythm, including that of the dream life. Weeks and seasons also have their own in-breath and out-breath. Through the proper understanding and use of rhythm, there is a foundation for creating a home learning experience with Waldorf education. The key word here for us is "creating" - not "recreating".
As in Waldorf schools, we also facilitate the "Main Lesson" at home - a block lasting three to four weeks focusing on a specific subject. We also bring in other subject areas related to the curriculum, including handwork, painting and recorder music. As parents, we take on the responsibility of implementing the methodology and techniques that make Waldorf unique. As home learners, however, we are afforded the luxury of being able to be more innovative in our activities, as we are not limited to the classroom setting.
In the case of our Main Lesson on farming, we visited a local farm and asked if we could work together to develop a weekly, year-round program that would meet our curriculum needs. Consequently, a group of other home learners joined us. The activity became the strong foundation for the Main Lesson, while we used our time at home to deepen what was learned each week on the curriculum. The subject was also interwoven with other areas of our life. We used farming measurement in our mathematics lesson and learned to play songs on the recorder related to farming and pioneer life.
Waldorf education can be likened to that of an ascending spiral, as one continues to revisit subjects, deepening them and gaining new insights each time. Participating in festival-based activities on a seasonal basis is one way we remain connected with the group experience of journeying with others who are also inspired by Waldorf . Initially feeling bereft of these activities when we first left the school setting, we began to create some of our own as a family. Consequently, our Lantern Walk each November and our Advent Spiral each December receive a warm response from the greater community. One does not need to have an interest in Waldorf to participate in these activities, as they are perfect examples of how we can all share in the human experience of embracing our divine nature.
It is out of the growing desire for information about Waldorf methods for home learners that many grassroots groups, including co-operatives and family-run organizations are forming. We attend an annual conference and curriculum training each year in Toronto that offers solid wisdom and support for Waldorf home learners. Our own family has now developed a network to assist those closer to home to connect with larger training groups like this, as well as to meet other area like-minded families.
Implementing Waldorf methods at home is not a task we take lightly as parents. We cannot expect our children to be clear in thought, balanced in feeling and assured in action if we have not taken on the inner work of adult development ourselves that will empower us to help create the outer experience for our family life. As Steiner once said, "The true aim of education is to awaken real powers of perception and judgment in relation to life and living. For only such awakening can lead to true freedom." This awakening is the task before all of us as parents. It is the task we all share as human beings journeying in community together.
Waldorf Family Network is a grassroots organization serving homeschooling families inspired by Waldorf education. www.WaldorfFamilyNetwork.org
I think this describes Waldorf very well. It is so what I want for Finley- either at home or in a school setting. I feel very strongly about Waldorf because it was introduced to me at the Dr. Hauschka training I attended when I was pregnant. I haven't ever actually worked for Dr. Hauschka, I was trained then never used. I believe the only reason that happened in my life was to introduce me to Dr. Rudolph Steiner and anthroposophy for the purpose of Finley. It's like he showed it to me. I want to incorporate the philosophy into our lives and activities but I don't know where to begin. I am such a scatterbrained person that I don't know how I could ever be that organized, consistent, and aware. It is something that I am going to educate myself on and always strive for.
Head, Heart, Hands - Weaving Waldorf Education into Home Learning
by Waldorf Family Network
I watch our nine-year-old daughter as she eyes the many baskets of wool yarn in the small store near our home. The rainbow of naturally dyed colored skeins is plentiful as we search for the "right yarn" needed to complete her next knitting project - a winter hat. This isn't just one of our everyday errands. This is actually an important task in the seasonal rhythm of our educational life as we prepare to take on various handwork projects during the cold months ahead. It is a task that also connects us in a deeper way with the educational philosophy that is rooted within the very framework of our family: Waldorf education.
Founded in Europe by Austrian philosopher and scientist, Rudolf Steiner, Waldorf education began when Steiner gave a series of lectures to the workers of the Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory in Germany. Inspired by Steiner's message, the owner of the factory requested that Steiner establish a school for the children of the factory's employees. Steiner agreed to do so, though only under certain conditions, including that the leading role in the running of the school be performed by those who would be working directly with the children, and with a minimum of government interference. After a period of training for the teachers, the Free Waldorf School opened in 1919. With its roots in a philosophy called "anthroposophy", Steiner designed a curriculum that would encourage freethinking within children rather than catering to the requirements of governmental forces.
The word anthroposophy comes from the Greek words "anthro" (human) and "sophia" (wisdom). Regarded as a spiritual science rather than a religion, anthroposophy offers a means of study and practical observation through which one can awaken to one's own inner nature and to that of the outer world. It is through this awakening that Steiner believed that authentic creativity and a deep reverence for all life could be fostered. In addition to education, Steiner also applied this direct knowledge and experience to other subjects, including medicine and farming. While the basis for teaching methods is not taught directly to children, anthroposophy provides the foundation for a comprehensive educational model that aims to develop children who will be clear in thought, balanced in feeling and assured in action. It is this holistic model of addressing the curriculum through the "head, heart and hands" that distinguishes Waldorf from that of other models. More than merely "developmental education", what helps to make Waldorf unique is not only which subjects are taught, but also when and how. Based upon Steiner's idea that specific forces and capabilities unfold within a child in distinct seven-year cycles, the Waldorf model is designed to provide "the right impetus, at the right time". Through each cycle the child also has particular needs – met by the adults around them which serve to empower and guide development.
Understanding the "temperaments" or nature of each child is also paramount to the process. The true task of Waldorf education is one that is designed to awaken capacities within the child, not merely to impose intellectual content.
Of particular interest to many is the developmental juncture Steiner termed the "nine-year change". Often a time marked with a sense of separation, children at this crossroad stand between the world of imitation and a newly emerging sense of self. The curriculum addresses this turning point through tales of hardship involving others who have gone before us and have gloriously survived, such as the early pioneers. The topics of house building and farming are studied, as children learn how people all over the world have made homes for themselves. These subjects are introduced at a time when children tend to feel particularly insecure about their own surroundings and are not yet sure of their place in the world. These studies literally "ground" children in a way like no other. Children engaged in Waldorf education learn by doing - whether it is a lesson in mathematics or language arts, or building a structure or farming the earth.
There is so much more that could be said about Waldorf education. Our task as a family, however, is how to translate the philosophy, curriculum and methodology into our own home learning environment. Having been in a Waldorf school for four years prior to educating at home, we were already clear about the merits of the philosophy and curriculum. The decision to educate at home with our two children brought many questions. How would we "bring Waldorf home"? Should we even try? What would such a path look like?
Our home embraces the notion of "rhythm" - one that is daily, weekly and seasonally. There is an "in-breath" and an "out-breath" to our lives that is intended to connect us on a deeper level to nature and to our inner selves.
The morning is more of an in-breath - a time best used for taking in new material. The out-breath must naturally follow in the afternoon - a time better suited for activity. The evening has its own rhythm, including that of the dream life. Weeks and seasons also have their own in-breath and out-breath. Through the proper understanding and use of rhythm, there is a foundation for creating a home learning experience with Waldorf education. The key word here for us is "creating" - not "recreating".
As in Waldorf schools, we also facilitate the "Main Lesson" at home - a block lasting three to four weeks focusing on a specific subject. We also bring in other subject areas related to the curriculum, including handwork, painting and recorder music. As parents, we take on the responsibility of implementing the methodology and techniques that make Waldorf unique. As home learners, however, we are afforded the luxury of being able to be more innovative in our activities, as we are not limited to the classroom setting.
In the case of our Main Lesson on farming, we visited a local farm and asked if we could work together to develop a weekly, year-round program that would meet our curriculum needs. Consequently, a group of other home learners joined us. The activity became the strong foundation for the Main Lesson, while we used our time at home to deepen what was learned each week on the curriculum. The subject was also interwoven with other areas of our life. We used farming measurement in our mathematics lesson and learned to play songs on the recorder related to farming and pioneer life.
Waldorf education can be likened to that of an ascending spiral, as one continues to revisit subjects, deepening them and gaining new insights each time. Participating in festival-based activities on a seasonal basis is one way we remain connected with the group experience of journeying with others who are also inspired by Waldorf . Initially feeling bereft of these activities when we first left the school setting, we began to create some of our own as a family. Consequently, our Lantern Walk each November and our Advent Spiral each December receive a warm response from the greater community. One does not need to have an interest in Waldorf to participate in these activities, as they are perfect examples of how we can all share in the human experience of embracing our divine nature.
It is out of the growing desire for information about Waldorf methods for home learners that many grassroots groups, including co-operatives and family-run organizations are forming. We attend an annual conference and curriculum training each year in Toronto that offers solid wisdom and support for Waldorf home learners. Our own family has now developed a network to assist those closer to home to connect with larger training groups like this, as well as to meet other area like-minded families.
Implementing Waldorf methods at home is not a task we take lightly as parents. We cannot expect our children to be clear in thought, balanced in feeling and assured in action if we have not taken on the inner work of adult development ourselves that will empower us to help create the outer experience for our family life. As Steiner once said, "The true aim of education is to awaken real powers of perception and judgment in relation to life and living. For only such awakening can lead to true freedom." This awakening is the task before all of us as parents. It is the task we all share as human beings journeying in community together.
Waldorf Family Network is a grassroots organization serving homeschooling families inspired by Waldorf education. www.WaldorfFamilyNetwork.org
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Friday Fun!
On Friday, Sienna came over for the first time since her trip to Miami. We missed her. Here are Sienna and Finley playing on the slide.
Sienna got brave and decided to run down the slide.
The safe landing pose!
Yoga break~
Climbing train~
Sienna helping Finley up. Sweet girl!
Then later we went to the De Leon's to play. Here is Vin having a splash.
And Finley, wondering why I just put him in freezing cold water.
Now he's happy!
They have 2 swings! Double the fun!
They thought it was extra funny when I pushed them and said, "Push." Amazing.
Sienna got brave and decided to run down the slide.
The safe landing pose!
Yoga break~
Climbing train~
Sienna helping Finley up. Sweet girl!
Then later we went to the De Leon's to play. Here is Vin having a splash.
And Finley, wondering why I just put him in freezing cold water.
Now he's happy!
They have 2 swings! Double the fun!
They thought it was extra funny when I pushed them and said, "Push." Amazing.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Restaurant Review!
Chili's Bar and Grill
Boy do I love Chili's. There is something about their queso and chips- when paired with ranch dressing- it's so delicious! And the best part is that they don't use MSG! Most ranch dressing has MSG but not Chili's!
For entree's, I like the quesadilla salad. It's the perfect mix of good and evil. But if I'm feeling really evil their chicken fried steak is good, as are their super unforgettable chicken crispers with honey mustard.
Kevin really enjoys the baby back ribs!
They have very well cooked and well seasoned broccoli too! I always sub broccoli for fries with whatever I order.
They have a crazy awesome dessert- I think it's called chocolate paradise pie. It's insanely delicious!
Their waitstaff is always professional, prompt, courteous, friendly, helpful, and-most importantly- clean.
We don't eat out very often but when we do it's at Chili's. If you go to their website and join their mailing list they will send you coupons!
Even though it's not ideal to eat out in restaurants, I think Chili's is a great place for reliably great food and service.
Mmmmm, Chili's!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
May!
Here is a recap in pics of what's been going on the last few weeks. Actually, it's just my birthday, Sienna's birthday, and Memorial Day.
Birthday fun at Bar Belmont! It was our first time to go out together (me and Kevin) since Finley was born!
How fabulous are we?!?
Maybe one too many at this point.
And a few too many at this point.
Sienna's 1st Birthday party at Arboretum!
Birthday Princess!
Peek a boo!
A squirrel stole a cupcake!
Fun at home! Finley watching t.v. He never does this! He's pooped from Vin's party the day before!
Playing in the little pool
Hummus and broccoli mess!
Black Bean Soup and Blueberries- big mess!
Memorial Day at the grandfathers' house.
Blue going for a swim
Finley eating berries and watching Blue swim
Lots of pics! I kinda went crazy. I was just going to do a few then I got started and thought- oh, might as well!
We are having so much fun! Finley is Mr. Personality! He is trying to talk more every day. He has added mooing like a cow and making an elephant noise. He says shhhh for shoes and apps for applesauce. He really tries to repeat everything we say to him. He says oh-oh when something falls on the floor. He loves music and bops his head and bounces his legs to dance. But the temper is starting to show! Oh boy. He will sit there in a huff, prepare himself, and let out a glass shattering scream when he is frustrated. It's funny, but it's not.
Happy Summer!
Birthday fun at Bar Belmont! It was our first time to go out together (me and Kevin) since Finley was born!
How fabulous are we?!?
Maybe one too many at this point.
And a few too many at this point.
Sienna's 1st Birthday party at Arboretum!
Birthday Princess!
Peek a boo!
A squirrel stole a cupcake!
Fun at home! Finley watching t.v. He never does this! He's pooped from Vin's party the day before!
Playing in the little pool
Hummus and broccoli mess!
Black Bean Soup and Blueberries- big mess!
Memorial Day at the grandfathers' house.
Blue going for a swim
Finley eating berries and watching Blue swim
Lots of pics! I kinda went crazy. I was just going to do a few then I got started and thought- oh, might as well!We are having so much fun! Finley is Mr. Personality! He is trying to talk more every day. He has added mooing like a cow and making an elephant noise. He says shhhh for shoes and apps for applesauce. He really tries to repeat everything we say to him. He says oh-oh when something falls on the floor. He loves music and bops his head and bounces his legs to dance. But the temper is starting to show! Oh boy. He will sit there in a huff, prepare himself, and let out a glass shattering scream when he is frustrated. It's funny, but it's not.
Happy Summer!
Friday, May 8, 2009
Finley's tree!
After one month and all the rain Finley's tree finally has started to bud! It's very exciting!
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