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Archives for September 2010

Waldorf Mommy: Michaelmas

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“Through celebrations in their seasons are the deeper powers of human nature realized.”

— Rudolf Steiner

Waldorf is big on festivals.  September 29th was Michaelmas.  In our last parent council meeting, a parent tried to describe the meaning of Michaelmas to the newbies, she got it confused with Martinmas, which has something to do with lanterns.

I’ve done some piecing together from a few sources and descriptions and as near as I can make out, Michaelmas is about preparing yourself for winter both mentally and physically.  The challenges of winter are symbolized by a dragon.  Saint Michael is able to slay the dragon, therefore ensuring survival.

My daughter’s school put together quite the celebration. 

On Monday, the kindergarteners planted bulbs in the courtyard.  Wednesday morning, the third grade class came in at sunrise to stir buckets of manure tea, which was referred to as a “bio-dynamic preparation.”  Turns out Rudolf Steiner not only developed a great educational model, but also a methodology for organic farming.  What a guy.  The manure tea was then sprinkled on the bulbs planted earlier in the week.

All students brought a harvest gift to their classrooms for exchange.  We brought a bouquet of flowers from our garden, some dahlias, sedum and lilies.  And we brought a half dozen eggs for each of Nora’s teachers.

The main event was a play put on by all the grades depicting Saint Michael’s slaying of the dragon.  We’re talking kids playing recorders, lots of singing, lines said in unison: I was a puddle people.  My only regret was that I could make out most of the words.  Kindergarteners are relegated to a viewing position on a hill above the crowd next to the playground, so as bored kids peeled off the group and headed for the play structure, it became impossible to hear everything.

The second graders had on greens shirts and green felt hats.  The first graders were dressed in white and waved large puff balls over their heads, I believe symbolizing winter. The fourth graders were townspeople. The fifth graders were red and got to bang on a bunch of percussion instruments when the dragon came through.  The seventh & eighth graders were underneath a rather impressive looking dragon costume.  It was an amazingly cohesive performance for gradeschoolers.  Again, Waldorf kids impress me with their attentiveness and self possession.  These kids had it together.

After the play, there was a family picnic in the park and then an early release for the entire school.  School day over at lunch time.  No aftercare provided.  In other words, an effective tool for forcing busy parents to take a breath and spend an afternoon with their kids.

Waldorf, I love you.

Versatile Blogger Award

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Jamie over at Avant Garde Parenting was kind enough to bestow me with my very first blog award!  Thanks, Jamie!  Jamie is doing great things over at AVP, so go check her out.

In order to accept the award you must: 1.  Thank the blogger who gave it to you and link back to their site 2.  Tell 7 things about yourself 3.  Pass it on to other ‘versatile’ bloggers!

So, mmm, seven things about myself.  Here goes:

  1. I am so short that kids think I am a kid (including my own daughter).
  2. I am a knitter and a spinner, though I haven’t done much of either in the last three years. (Did I mention my daughter is three?)
  3. I am a horrible visualizer — I cannot hang pictures or arrange furniture to save my life.  My husband has to do it for it to look good.  I also can’t do math in my head.
  4. When I truly make up my mind to do something, it gets done.
  5. I hate high heels.  I do not own them.
  6. I kiss chickens. (They are so soft and sweet!)
  7. For quite a long time, all my dreams had subtitles.  Kind of like a silent movie.

And now, to pass this honor along:

I love dad bloggers and I feel the need to spread the word about Written Dad at Filets to Fishsticks.  So far, I have not find a clunky post in his archive.  He’s witty, sometimes self deprecating, sometimes smug.  He does an amazing job of giving his blog a consistent feel without being boring.  Please go there, now.  I don’t know if he’s into passing on bloggy awards, but I wish him lots of traffic.

On another note, today is Michaelmas, an important day in the Waldorf calendar.  Nora and I will be attending our first honest to goodness Waldorf festival.  Details soon.

What to Do When Your House is Not in Order

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There is a tent in my backyard that has been pitched since sometime in July.  Nora and I slept in it one night.

My bathroom walls are patched with spackle and there are test colors on various walls.

 

My chicken coop needs some fall maintenance, namely, sealing up the windows with plastic and building a roof on the run.

I started building raised beds for the garden, as evidenced by the mostly completed one sitting on the patio.

 

Tasks are piling up around here.

In the face of this substantial to-do list, what first step did I take?

Crafting, of course.

I made these bags over the course of the last week.  I need to make one more this weekend.  They are for Nora and the nephews.  I shall stuff them with pajamas and story books for Christmas.

The project idea came from a great little book called The Creative Family, by Amanda Blake Soule. 

It’s filled with lovely little procrastination devices that will strengthen your family bond and grow your pile of laundry.

Thankfully, I bear no responsibility for getting into this mess.  It’s really my mother-in-law’s fault for giving me the book. (Hi Deb!)

Beach Balm

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A number of years ago, before Nora, Ben and I spent a stormy day at the Pacific Ocean.  It was high tide and waves were crashing all the way up the beach.  When the waves rolled out, we’d run down a hill, stack up a bunch of rocks, then run back up the hill and watch the waves knock over our pile.  Then we’d do it again.

On another trip, Ben decided we should walk all the way out to the first large rock at Cannon Beach.  We waded, fully clothed, into the ocean.  Just before reaching the rock, Ben stepped in a sinkhole and I had to yank him out and drag him a few feet back before he could get his footing.  It was just scary enough to make us giddy.  We drove back to Portland without pants, the heating vents pointed at our clammy thighs.

Just before we got married, we took a trip to Ecola State Park, scampering down an embankment too steep to walk back up.  We saw starfish in the tidepools.  The tide started to roll in and we ran down the beach to make it to a trailhead before the beach was consumed in waves.  The trail wended through a rain forest. The trees were as large as buildings and everything seemed to glow in green light.

Nothing gives me a sense of well being like the Pacific Ocean.  It doesn’t need to be summer.  It doesn’t need to be sunny.  I just need sand and water. 

This weekend, my daughter and my dog got a taste of that magic.

 

 

Of New Routines and Exhaustion

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You know how kids get really exhausted by a new routine?  They start a new school and it just wipes them out for a few weeks until they adjust?

Turns out, it can happen to parents, too.  I am exhausted this week and this blog has paid the price.

We’ll spend this weekend relaxing at the beach.  I’ll return next week imbued with negative ions (which are a good thing) and stories of my parent council activities at Nora’s school.

See you soon.