What is important? What do we value?

They say opposites attract. I guess Steve and I are in some ways opposite. He is very conservative and I'm rather liberal. However, on things that are important to us we agree (or the other one doesn't really care). We both have been thinking back to our childhoods and what we liked and didn't like about them. We also look around at today's society and worry about bringing up Hazel with our morals and values in today's society. I think this is why we both really like the idea of a Waldorf education for her.

Since making that decision I have noticed my life going back to older times. Making more crafts (not that I wasn't before but now focusing on what they are made of, etc.), slowing down, looking for more family time and wishing the blues laws were not voted out way back when. I miss having the Sabbath day where the stores for the most part were closed and certainly miss the holidays where the stores remain closed. Now it seems like the various holidays equal sales and craziness at the stores. Our society seems to rush around so much I wonder when do people rest and connect with one another.

Now stating this I should say that Steve and I do not text on our phones--in fact I have it blocked to receive texts (after getting spam on it). We do not have fancy phones and don't want them. Our cell phones are for phone calls when we are away from home and need to get in touch with someone. We do not plan on getting a cell phone for Hazel until she goes to high school at the earliest. We are also not the type to go out and buy the latest technology and keep up with it. Steve uses my laptop that I bought in 2001 or so and I have a computer we bought right after Hazel was born (when we realized all of the pictures from our digital camera was taking too much memory on the laptop). Now stating this, I should also say I know we live very comfortably. We have a beautiful (too large) house that we have professionally cleaned twice a month (because I'm not very good at keeping up with the cleaning and playing with Hazel) even though I'm a stay-at-home mom. So it isn't that we cannot afford these things, but we decide not to do them. Most of our vacations nowadays involve visiting family--usually my parents on Cape Cod.

I guess things I have been thinking about are what we value. My car is five years old and I still think of it as brand new. (My last car was ten years old when we got rid of it.) It is a Subaru Forrester nothing fancy. Steve's car is a Ford Escape and is four years old. So we are not driving fancy cars. I see many neighbors who do, but could care less. Even though I'm in my car a lot to me as long as it is dependable nothing else matters. I know it will start when I need it to and we always maintain them well. Steve is rather meticulous about it.

So many of our decisions come from how we want to live our lives. We do not want to be the family that people need to keep up with or try to keep up with any other family. We want to have time together and teach Hazel our values. We feel strongly that religion is important and want Hazel to be active in a church. We have decided on my church (I'm protestant and Steve's catholic), but we take Hazel to mass every once in awhile as well. I watch how the families with young children stop coming to church and hear about all the sporting events that take place on Sundays. I understand why, but can't imagine letting Hazel belong to a team that plays most of their games during church time. I remember being young and going to my grandparents house for Sunday dinner after church--it was always a steak dinner. Are our children going to have these connections and breaks in life? Steve and I have decided that we want to consciously put this break in Hazel's life (and our own). After church we are planning on having family time after Hazel stops napping. She usually comes home and has lunch and takes her nap right now after church. But when she no longer naps, we want to have a family meal and then a family activity--a walk in the state park nearby, play a game, something fun and together.

I guess this is why I like the Waldorf philosophy. We have struggled as a family with some of it--especially the no television. When Hazel is sick or one of us isn't feeling well, we do give in and let her watch it, but usually only one of three shows (Sesame Street--she loves Elmo, Caillou, and Curious George). Steve's mother often lets her watch it as well when she is taking care of her for us. But I have noticed that when we don't let her watch it, she doesn't ask too much to watch it. It is only when we have recently let her that she will ask. She also has learned that Mommy doesn't allow it as much as Daddy or Nonni. She doesn't seem to ask for it at my parents but the few times she has, they have said no so she knows it won't work there. I have also noticed she does play with her toys more and she does mimic life but also mimics the shows. Her imaginary friend at my parents was Rosie, Caillou's little sister (and her favorite character). She has told me she has the flu or her dolls have the flu because Caillou gets the flu in an episode. I know from the reading I have done that this is one of the issues with television since she is not imitating real experiences of her own, but her favorite thing to do is put her babies to bed or to serve a meal or make a phone call. All of which are real life experiences or things she watches me do every day, so I'm not that concerned. We are also not putting her in front of the television as a babysitter and we are picky about what she watches.  (I should also add that she learned all of her letters and numbers--what they look like--from Sesame Street and how to count.) We did allow her to watch some television (Sprout and PBS only) before making the Waldorf decision.

My other area of concern is food. We do our best to serve her organic food whenever possible. I truly believe it is all the processing of our food that has caused the allergies and various illness, learning disabilities, etc. I know our pediatrician told me to make sure I always gave her dairy products that do not have extra hormones given to the cows. I figure I cannot control everything she will eat, but when we are home I can do my best to give her what is best for her.

I watched as a high school teacher for years the teenagers who were becoming adults way too young. (I taught in pretty wealthy towns, so it wasn't the teen pregnancies, etc., but how the kids carried themselves and acted.) I was shocked when a girl in one of my freshman geometry classes was excited about Victoria's Secret's semi-annual sale (and this was before Victoria's Secret really marketed to the teenagers). I know as a freshman in high school, I wouldn't have dreamed of going into a store like Victoria's Secret. So I am hoping by making some of these decisions we can help Hazel have a childhood that will be happy and not rushed. I know she is advanced for her age--I'm told it all the time. Between her height and her language people are shocked to hear she isn't three yet, but I don't see a reason to push her now. Let her enjoy learning and growing while she can. There is enough stress to fill her life when she becomes an adult.

Do you agree? What are some ideas you have come up with to slow down life in your family and allow your kids to be kids?

Tutorial: Candy Cane Ornament

So today was Hazel's and my first day of school for the year. We are doing the parent/child class called Bachelor Buttons at the Cape Ann Waldorf School. This is the school we are planning on sending Hazel to through 8th grade. So I took a picture right before we left for school.

She had her Red Sox backpack (she doesn't know who the Red Sox are, but it was a gift ages ago and I recently pulled it out for her) packed with her slippers and gifts we made for the teachers. Ducky of course had to come as well, though he sat on a shelf watching the class while we were inside. We had a good first day meeting new friends and getting back into the rhythm.

Now I know fall hasn't officially started so I don't usually like to think too far ahead to Christmas (besides buying a few gifts here and there when I see something for someone), but many years ago a friend gave me some ornaments that looked easy to make and by easy in my mind = easy enough for Hazel to make. So while out today I bought the supplies and made one myself to figure it out. Then I had Hazel start one. She didn't finish it yet, but definitely can do it with some help.

So on to the tutorial to make a candy cane ornament.

Supplies you need are two colors (or three if you want to be really fancy) of the tri beads (the ones with 3 little circles on ends and they fit together when strung) and a pipe cleaner (I used white to make the clear beads look white).

1) Cut the pipe cleaner to the size you think you will want for your pipe cleaner. I would say between 4 and 6 inches. Bend one end a small bit up to get rid of the sharp point.

2) Using the unbent end, string the beads on alternating your colors until it is full except a small piece to bend on the other end.

3) Shape your candy cane.
4) Hang it on your tree or decorate a gift with it.

As you can see from the pictures Hazel only needed a little assistance with the stringing. I bent the end to start it for her and will shape it in the end.

I figured we can make these as gifts from Hazel for everyone so now we can make a few each week and we will have more than enough by Christmas.

Enjoy!

Tutorial: Felt Journal Covers

Today, Hazel and I made gifts for her teachers. School starts tomorrow and we are continuing in the Parent/Child Bachelor Buttons Class at Cape Ann Waldorf School. Last year we joined the Bachelor Buttons class in March thinking we would put Hazel in the Nursery Class this year. However after realizing what happens in the class and the fact that Hazel is on the borderline for age for starting the Nursery Class, we decided not to push her this year and to enjoy another year of Bachelor Buttons where I get to go with her. Needless to say we will have the same teacher and assistant teacher, so we are making gifts to bring them tomorrow.

Our gifts

Yesterday we stopped at Joann Fabrics to get some felt and needle felting supplies and all of their school supplies and organizational stuff was 70% off so I bought some composition books. We made wool felt covers with fall needle felted designs on them. Hazel helped with the needle felting under close supervision. She was able to do it, but didn 't always get to move it around. Anyway, here is a tutorial for you on what we did.

Supplies:

Composition Book

Composition book or journal book
Wool Felt (enough to cover book)
Wool Roving
Styrofoam or other surface to needle felt into
Needle for needle felting
Cookie Cutters
1/4 inch elastic or glue
Thread and needle if you are using elastic


1) Cut the felt with pinky shears to be a bit bigger than the book cover (front and back).
2) Take felt piece and put on foam or surface for needling.
3) Choose location to put cookie cutter on felt piece (this will be your mold for the needle felting). Remember the right side is the front and the left is the back cover.
4) Choose roving colors and put a little of each color inside the cookie cutter.
5) The adult should use a single needle and go around the edges to make sure you lock in  the details of the shape.

6) The child can needle felt the middle of the shape. I had Hazel use my 5-needle tool which has more safety features than just a needle. I held the cookie cutter for her.

7) When the roving seems stiff enough and pushed down to be relatively flat, remove cookie cutter. (The adult may have to finish it to make sure it is felted enough.)
8) Repeat 3-7 if you want more than one cookie cutter shape/design.

Checking book inside first elastic

9) Once you are happy with the cover, sew on the elastic on the inside of front and back cover and slide book into it. Or you can glue the cover onto the book. I liked the elastic method so you could reuse the cover when the book is full.

Placement of both elastics

Acorn and oak leaf

Maple leaves

Now you have beautiful journals to keep or giveaway. Enjoy!!

For more ideas of felting with kids check out: Let the Children Play: Wet Felted Balls
I'm a teacher, get me OUTSIDE here! felted stones
Kleas: Ziplock bag felting with kids

I'm hoping to try these later with Hazel.

Quilt Top

So I posted a few days ago a preview of the quilt top that I won the pattern and fabric for from Sew Happy Geek for her blogiversary and Fat Quarter Shop. I have finished piecing the quilt as it is written. I've ordered more fabric to enlarge it to fit our bed so now I wait. But I wanted to share the "finished" top with you thus far.

Steve and I need a winter quilt. We currently have a quilt I made very lightweight for the summer, so this will be our winter quilt. I think the bright, cheerful colors are perfect for the long New England winter, don't you?

In the meantime I'm going to make a similar quilt for Hazel's bed using a Hey Diddle Diddle panel for the middle square and some new and mostly old nursery/children/novelty fabric I have (and some my mom wants to get rid of). In this one I'm going to use the other option of the pattern where the last four corners are from one fabric (usually the middle fabric, but I'm using a book panel of nursery rhyme pictures I found). Plus I want to sew a new fall outfit for Hazel--possibly for her first day of school which is Thursday!! I better getting sewing!

Center Panel

For corner blocks

Stepping stones

Simba's Memorial Plant

Last week I wrote about burying our beloved Simba's ashes. We also made a stepping stone marker for him. And we made one for Hazel as well. I had bought two kits and some letter/number stamps for them. The three of us mixed the cement and poured it and then waited for the right consistency.

The correct consistency happened almost immediately for Hazel's, but Simba's took much longer--in fact I went down and fixed it hours later after Hazel was in bed. Yesterday I added color to Simba's with some paint and sprayed both of them with a clear gloss sealant. We are happy with how they came out. I do wish I had waited longer for the right consistency with Simba's so it would be so messy now.

We also planted a shrub in Simba's memory above his ashes. It is in the garden next to our back patio. We will add the stepping stone near it as well.