apropos birthday magic

An old draft post from November birthday 2010

Spring tides

This past week has been  green interspersed with snow and hail. It was my birthday yesterday. Wonderful to see how the children are more excited then I am am. Whispering in corners, drawing secrets and giggling. Looking forward to something beautiful is half the joy. They made me a beautiful morning ritual, like we do, breakfast, song, gifts, hot tub in sleet and storm-winds at 6.30 am. You know, the usual!

After dinner we had a chocolate, almond flour-less torte with cream and raspberries. I am lucky and happy. And I MUST be an adult now, according to Lea. It happens when you get so old, there is no room on the cake for the amount of candles needed.... darn.

birthday rainbows. window wash included.

a kind of Christmas card

Christmas' gift investment. Waldorf Dollhouse dolls and furniture from Toyspectrum.de

I have been wanting to post a Christmas post again for along time. Finally, here is a glimpse of the holidays.   

Gingerbread village

Advent Wreath.

 

 

The Three Kings, happily made in one sitting while watching Lord of the Rings. Aah, the joys of parenting!

Out of the ashes II

Goodness. Where to begin?

Going to post an older draft here from early December. With January goodness right around the corner, though first our homeschooling quandary.

These past weeks I have been ever so present in the time I have had at home. When one is forced to be out and study so much, I appreciate all the more the time I am home. On a side note, the more time I am away from home, the more challenging time spent with the children becomes. Time spent with children is all about quantity , not quality, and if I have been away for days on end, I feel it harder to get in-tuned again, and then I misread signals and it takes time to fix. Hence, more time home, is all that is needed. We, Anders and I, are in the process of deciding to home-school next year or not. Living in Hardanger, with no Waldorf School, it has always been an option, and now the date is drawing near, when we have to decide. We are hoping perhaps the local school would let us do a part time solution, couple days a week option, so she would feel she was social and a part of the local community. The schooldays are relatively long, 8.30-13.30.
Without using this post as a pros and cons list, it will suffice to say that I am not unhappy about the Norwegian school system, nor do I think it will be unhealthy for our children to attend. It has to do with the time spent together with our children, and the amazing beautiful qualities a Waldorf appoach in the home could give them in lack of a local school. Sort of a two in one.
The major choice is simply Jasmin's well-being and my career, since it will be I who stays home. We shall see, inevitably a choice will be made, but the more I think about staying home, the happier I get. And the more I delve into my thesis and dream about fieldwork in Lebanon, the happier I get. Ahh, what a luxury problem. And what a wonderful life we have.

St.Nicholas visited us this morning( a day late I know, but Yesterday just didn't fit in with the baking. And they will never know....) The look on the children's face when we placed the shoes filled with carrots and straw outside the door last night was amazing. Oh, the glory of believing, really believing St. Nicholas will arrive on his white horse, and in exchange for the carrots and cleaned shoes, leave little gifts. We left cookies for him as well, and in return received "Anis kringler". (Which were quite tasty by the way. Almost made up for sitting next to the oven at a quarter to twelve waiting for them....)

Michaelsmas

The much anticipated Micha-els mass came and went. I was really looking forward to the day, since it has been so long since we have had celebrated a festival. Despite that the preparations have been so sporadic, yesterday turned out beautifully. Joshua and Ramona left us early this morning to fly to the States for a few weeks (to return, I told a very worried Lea, "don't worry, they will be back!"), so it was also a little combined Bon Voyage, and a Harvest Dinner for Autumn. I put the two of them to the task of making the centerpiece for the table. They dove into the mission with gusto. Beautiful.

Hardanger Autumn- apples, nuts, berries, leaves and pumpkins. And a kohlrabi. Oh and oranges.

We have been singing two songs the last month, which of one has been a perfect Autumn song, as we walk up in the mountains, we have been really experiencing the decent of Fall. Lea has been the most avid singer, bringing the songs into her play during the days and early mornings.

It's golden in the treetops, it's golden in the sky,

it's golden, golden, golden, September passing by.

rolled beeswax candles.

Sct. Micha-el  giving strength and light to Georg the Knight, on the Nature Table.

In the late nights of Autumn, on long September nights,
Micha-el sends falling stars, showing strength and light.
In the late night hours they fall, showering his starlight on all.
Falling stars, falling stars, shoot across the sky.
Falling stars, falling stars, bring to earth your light.

Dragonmas bread. 

Baking dragon bread was something we did right before making dinner. I had read this beautiful little story to tell while mixing together the ingredients, found in the "All Year Round" book. Starting with

"the fair land (mounds of clean white flour), which became dark and desolate as the dragon lay it to waste ( emptying the yeast mixture into the bowl).
The darkness fell on the land, bring ice and snow (salt and suger).
Micha-el saw this from above and had great compassion he drew stars from the firmament and threw down (raisons) which became burrowed in the ground, and then he took pure sun shine and let fall to the earth (an egg yolk).
He then lets seeds (sunflower seeds) fall, and urged the people to come aout and plant the seds in the barren ground, and harvest the grain, make the dough, mix and mix, and bake the bread in the oven til it is done. Then to eat it, around a table with friends and family, with love int their hearts and a song on their lips."

Our song we sing before every meal was given in English after this story, which I sang, and then we felt so much more connected to the Norwegian one all through the baking, dinner and after.

Here the harvesting and good defeats evil is all combined, so I opted to not tell any other story this year. I have be been reading several versions, trying to decide how and which one, this short one was hands on, in-motion, rhythmical, and fit Jasmin just fine. And sometimes it is better not to have too high ambitions, or expectations, but take a few elements, and simply realize and accept this is not a  Waldorf Kindergarten, I am a busy student, they were in Kindergarten earlier in the day and all is as perfect as one wishes it to be. Though next year I would like to do a a small puppet show, then Noa and Lea will also be closing in on four years old.

We sang around the dinner table together with the whole family, Ramona, Joshua and Jon Kristian included. It was a lovely experience for the all of us. 

The children all were shining in their crowns and capes, smiling and red-cheeked by all the warmth from the candles.

Jasmin's french braided festival hair, by Ramona.
And homemade rose-hip/ hibiscus marmalade to go with the bread seen here.

Lea sweeping after dinner, before cookies and dragon bread.

silly girls.

Simple Sunday

July's painting in our birthday calendar, by Ruth Elsassar.

Constantly drying woolies.

Say no more.

Summer days are longer then others. And they are crammed, packed, full with what and where and packing- unpacking. Beach, mountain, walk, picnic, snacks, coffee, tea, rain, boots, sandals. The weather is shifting, but warm. Been alone with the kids since Wednesday, and am getting into the routine, the meal planning, the songs, and the clothes, the laundry and the washing up.

Today we had second breakfast up in the woods, in the rain. We all came home drenched. Did not help they all decided to go wading in the lake with there clothes on. Their boots were NOT waterproof when the water levels reached their armpits, and flowed down the insides of their rain pants.

We had lunch outside in the garden with homemade soup and bread. Then, after watercolour painting and miscellaneous catastrophes, we ended up heading down to the beach at 4pm, the sun beating down, and went swimming. Back to make dinner, falafel with all the extras, and then off to bath, story, bed. Well, that is our days.

There are small things in our environment that are vital components of our day worth mentioning. The play silks are always in use, everywhere-all the time. The bird feeders we have hanging outside are a frequent focus, and conversation topic. Jasmin is an avid and genius, Memory -game player (the one where you find two of the same). She gets me to play all the time. I tell myself it is good brain food for me as well.

Birthday breakfast, with our birthday ring, and main gift wrapped in 5 silks, to be taken off one by one.

My little girl has reminded once and for all how old I am getting. She turned 5 in July, spent a wonderful morning eating breakfast outside with Farfar (Anders' dad) and Bente. Hard to fathom at some times. Other times, when she is arguing her point to her mother, I believe it.

The greatest change in our lives at the moment starts tomorrow. Jasmin will be switching to the outdoors- kindergarten here where we live. All 5 year olds, running around outside all day, based in a lavvo (a Norwegian tee-pee) if it rains. It will great for her. She has never been the ultimate sit-still-and draw-girl. She does, but would rather rough-house, and run up a trail.

The little ones will starting kindergarten too, three days a week, so I can finish my degree before it gets outdated (or I do...). I am excited for them, but already dread the moments I will miss out on, the small ow's I will not be able to blow on, and the smiles that will be gone to the wind. I am happy for myself too, seems like a vacation at the moment, the thought of NO kids, just ME, and books, papers, lunch and my Mac. I know things will look different as the deadline creeps up, but for now, all is joy.

Lea and farfar.

The whites beaches of Denmark. And crawly kids.

Anders and I planned LAST summer we were going to both get a kite surfing course this summer. That was our adrenalin ration for the year. When we lost the house and was dragged through the insurance this winter, we decided to post bone it, till we had time AND money. (Well, truth be, Anders is taking a weekend course this COMING weekend, so we have one down...) Anyway, second best was slack lining. Anders bought a small set-up, and we practised as we travelled around Denmark. Super fun, and easy to learn. And children get it quite quick.

Easter Week and Moments of discipline

Easter is not something we really celebrate religiously, but all the same, we have crafted and painted, and went on an Easter egg hunt Sunday, baked Hot Cross Buns, made buckwheat pancakes (again), and decorated an Easter tree. The spring is so close now. The leaves on the branches burst out after approximately 5 hours!

Watercolors on eggs

As the Easter gifts, I had ordered these wonderful knitted gnome hats from a wondeful woman on Etsy- her name is Judy, and her shop is Mama Judes. I think it is fine to know ones capibilities, and cheat a little. They ARE homemade. Each one got a matching hat for their doll too. Noa, the boy, loved his the most.

A little early morning play.

Bike time. Jasmin is learning how, Noa and Lea share a wonderful Early Rider.

Picking up on the French Cooking, Anders made some exquisite pate a choix- with raspberry cream filling.

All dolls invited.

Home making with kids is, lucky enough, all about just being home, and not having BIG expectations. They are still so small. Have reachded a point of relaxing more, on myself that is.

They are still so small, and all the same so capable of pulling your strings, and laughing it up! The concept of gentle dicipline, NOT reaising your voice and speaking in pictures is all wonderful, but difficult to incorporate at all times. I am really trying though. Really recommend "The Parenting Passageway", see link on right column. She has some wonderful insight into gentle dicipline, and doesn't require reading an entire novel, to get started.

Candlemas and snow, snow, snow

For all you in Norway, I looked up Candlemas to be "Kyndelsmesse", originally the same festival of shining lights, when Marie brought Jesus to be purified to the temple 40 days after his birth. Now, at least in the Waldorf tradition, it is a day of cleansing, spring cleaning, rolling/ dipping /lighting many candles, making apple pancakes for breakfast, (the circle a symbol of the sun.)

And most important for Jasmin today:

If Candlemas Day be clear and bright,

Winter will take another flight.

If Candlemas Day be cloud and rain,

Winter is gone and will not come again.

Blue sky and crispy. Perfect.

The sun arose over the mountin at 9.30 in all its splendour and continued to shine and melt the day until the very end. Winter is here to stay. We have dug our paths and hills and caves in the yard, we are out several times a day for hours, in to to eat and rest and out again before nightfall.

Preparing the apples for pancakes.

Watercolor painting after lunch.

Snack at 2pm was "Apemad"- a Danish Monkey Dish with cut fruit,

whipped raw cream and vanilla and shredded cocoanut. Beautiful.

Christmas flashes from 2009

Tableaus from our first Christmas in our own house. Anders father and wife came up, and it was simply wonderful. I thought I would miss the Mom's-home-Christmas (which I did mom!) but, it was wonderful to be at home. So calm and simple, we got to decide ourselves what and when and how. Something we plan to repeat.

Christmas tree cut down on our new property. Decorated with handmade glitter-pine-cones, felted apples, and gold balls. And hand rolled beeswax candles, in holders from Anders' childhood. This house's living room was great for the tree right in the middle.AND as you can see, I did finish the first time ever felted donkey, and all the other characters involved.