Silva Rerum

Ballet Class

Claire is much more enthusiastic about ballet class this time. Using a generous Rec Center gift certficate from Aunt Nancy I signed her up for Pre-Ballet this fall.

Photo Update

I have been crazy busy this year with my Montessori training. Writing and taking pictures for my albums is no small feat. But I thought the friends and family who regularly check in to see what's new would appreciate a little photo update of life since Christmas.

Our sweet 20 month old was a holiday scene-stealer:

My husband and his sister had Christmas season birthdays. Look at all that smoke!

We celebrated the fourth birthday of my oldest daughter on Jan. 27. It wasn't a big production - just a few friends in attendance and a store bought cake - because mommy arrived from her out-of-town Montessori training just in time for the party. Good job on the decorations, Daddy!

Frosting fingers:

Thanks for looking! I will try my hardest to keep the blog up to date. Check back for Montessori activities for your home or classroom. I know there are a plethora of them on the internet but hopefully mine will be new to you.

It's a marshmallow world....

in the winter when the snow comes to cover the ground. All day yesterday there was the warning of much snow. When we went to bed at midnight it was just starting. This morning our yard was beautiful and, best of all, we had no obligations. It was noon before we were all dressed and outside playing in it.

 

A Resolution

No fast food for 2008! Now the rest of the family is grumbling, saying that this is too rash. But when over $800 was spent on fast food in 2007 it is time for radical change. I had a lot of fun last night playing around with all of the features in Quicken and was not at all shocked to discover that we spent over $800 going to the Golden Arches and running for the border! It seems like I'm always going through drive throughs because the kids are starving and can't wait until we get home, or I am too tired and don't feel like making anything or we don't have the ingredients on hand to whip up a decent dinner. No more excuses. I will make an enormous effort to avoid fast food this year. Can we make it 366 days?

Snow Day!

Music to any child's ears...and mom's too, to be honest. A day of just staying home. Bundling the kids up in tons of snow gear was followed by 30 minutes of snow play. That was followed by extra laundry for mom and a dirty, wet entryway. Afterwards, two of the four children took nice hot baths and all of us enjoyed steaming cups of hot cocoa. Baby keeps saying over and over, "Snow outside!" with a sense of wonder only toddlers have.

 

Thanksgiving

I know, I know. I am woefully behind on blog posts. I will not even attempt to catch up on what I have neglected to post for the past two months. Starting with Thanksgiving I will will simply begin again. Needless to say i have been BUSY. Busy with family and home and Montessori training. We had a couple of weeks there with lots of sick little ones which isn't any fun at all. Enough excuses. We had a wonderful, peaceful Thanksgiving. Here are my lovelies mesmorized by the fireplace at my aunt and uncles house:

My 7 year old was in a really lovely "Gratitude Gathering." He dressed as a pilgrim and had several lines to recite. He also sang and danced! He said that he was nervous the morning of the event but when his time came he stood tall and spoke clearly and didn't seem a bit nervous. We were very proud of him! Afterwards I used the stage with all of its seasonal decorations as a backdrop for a photograph of all of the kids:

I came across this sentimental bit from my childhood the other day in Seven Times the Sun: Guiding Your Child Through the Rhythms of the Day:

Oh, God is good to us 

And so we thank thee God                                                                  

For giving us the things we need     

The sun, the rain and the appleseed.                                                

God is good to us.             

These lines could be sung as a rousing, folk style table blessing. Watch the Disney cartoon for the melody. I discovered it just when I had been considering changing our prayers a bit so they don't get stale.                                                                                    

Confident Cranes

Sounds like the start of an Edward Lear Nonsense Rhyme, doesn't it? We spent a fruitful day at Kensington Nature Center last week. We saw a lot of wildlife, it was a beautiful day, and the children were so well behaved. Don't you just love days like that? It was a spur of the moment trip and one that I couldn't have planned better if I tried. When we pulled in to the nature center parking lot there were two incredible Sandhill Cranes right in front of our van. We quietly watched them for at least ten minutes before going in to the nature center. Several people gathered around to take their picture and they were totally unfazed.

Sights along the way.

Every other weekend I head for the campus of Siena Heights University in Adrian, MI, home of the Adrian Dominican Montessori Teacher Education Institute (whew!). It is a long drive. An hour and a half to be exact. There and back on Friday. There and back on Saturday. There and back on Sunday. It is a lot of driving.  The work load is enormous. More than I ever expected. But it is a labor of love and I do love it. About half of my drive is on expressways and the other half along two lane country highways. Farm after farm, cornfield after cornfield. To break up the monotony I stopped to take a few pictures of interesting sights along the way. From a distance I thought this field was dotted with hay bales. Upon closer inspection I saw that they were moving! Aren't ewe cute?

This one always makes me smile with its specificity:

The Joys of Summer.....

are almost over. Here are some pictures of our favorite summer-y things to do:

Without my knowledge my husband snapped this picture of my son and I coming out of Guernsey Farms Dairy. I think it is kind of funny. Don't I look happy that I'm about to pig-out? When I join Weight Watchers this will be my "before" picture ;  )

Splash parks and

BBQ's and

fresh strawberries and

big parties and

late nights.

Future mountain climber

I cannot believe where I found the baby today:

I probably should not have taken her picture up there. I'm sure it was encouraging this behavior since she loves having her picture taken but I could not resist.