I Bawled a Bit

Posted on September 18, 2011 by jeannie

For seventeen years, I’ve wondered at what point would I have given Bella enough love and protection that she could step forward on her own.  The first year seemed pretty darn important – and then so were all the ones up to the age of seven when I heard – that’s the time when lifelong preferences were being set, the number of firing neural connections in the brain developing, and the ability to trust and love blossoming. I wanted to know at what age would she be okay if some thing happened to me – at what age could she survive and still flourish? How old before I could stop worrying?

At some point I just gave up. Besides the fact that I knew young adults in their twenties still reeling from the double deaths of their parents, I realized that there was no definitive point where Bella would be an adult. I had to be there for her and spend as much time with her as I could while I still could. As strange as it may sound coming from somebody who considers herself upbeat and optimistic, I’ve spend Bella’s entire life scared sick that something would happen to me, or worse to her.

Yesterday, Chad, Christian, and I helped Bella move into her room at UCLA. She has officially moved out. I thought I was prepared for it. I’d already cried the previous night. And Bella and I had spent all week hanging out together.

But when I got her phone message last night: a teary “I love you Mom, and I miss you already. Thanks for helping me move into my room.” I burst into tears again and I’ve been crying off and on ever since.

My nest isn’t empty, but it sure feels emptier. Sad.

P.S. No phone calls from Bella today, so I suspect she’s feeling more herself and upbeat. She did txt to tell me that she’d spent the day in Westwood, attending work-study meetings, and hanging out in various dorm rooms. Here’s pics of her (triple occupancy!!) room from yesterday.

From the doorway

Her bew (with ALL NEW bedding) sheesh - I'm pretty sure I brought all old bedding to college...

Her desk - granted, this is before any classes have begun.

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Amy Yoes at CB1 Gallery

Posted on September 11, 2011 by jeannie

Amy Yoes’ white and black constructed installation fills the front room of the gallery like a haughty, well-bred aunt, who might prefer that you not mention the faint similarity to the mash-up of architectural ornament that is Disneyland’s ride, It’s a Small World. Indeed, the sculptural is elegant and speaks of a modernist connection with clean lines and geometric shapes, despite the ornamental trim. Hidden alcoves and nooks are well lit and encourage the eye to explore, even to the floor and all the way up to the lofty ceiling. The hand-painted surface adds visual pleasure and intrigue to the looking; and despite an initial sense of sterile angularity, every surface has been touched: sometimes the black is intentionally abraded to resemble newsprint and there are areas of gradient shades gray. Yoes’ black-and-white silver gelatin prints in the front room add more “spatial conundrum” to the show, while Hilde Overbergh’s oils on linen in the west gallery continue the conversation of interior abstracts in color (CB1 Gallery, Downtown).

Posted in architecture, art | Leave a comment

Forest Kindergarten Framework

Posted on September 9, 2011 by jeannie

I’m back from Not-Back-To-School Camp and hitting the ground running. The forest kindie starts Monday – and this weekend is my husband’s birthday. Full days ahead.

Here’s what I prepared today for the parents of the children in my forest kindie:

Forest Kindergarten Framework

(adapted from Devana Came’s Waldorf Parent-Toddler Group)

Important points

  • Children learn from imitating adult actions. All parents (not just the instructors) need to be conscious of what they are doing and saying during the forest kindegarten. The children will follow suit. To keep adult converstions directed and uplifting, there will be a bookclub discussion beginning in the third week of class.
  • Uninterrupted exploration and play is crucial to the Earthroots mission of nature connection. Parents are invited to practice being “benign parental presences.” Please bring a handwork project (knitting, sewing, etc) to keep your hands busy and productive.
  • Sing, sing, and sing! Many transitions between activities will be sung.This is to allow the child to remain in a creative dreamy space rather than a logical thinking space.
  • Songs are sung on the pentatonic scale (a melodic scale that is easily imitated by children). Most songs are very simple and can be made up as needed.
  • There is a breathing-type (in-and-out) rhythm to the activities overall. An animated/vigorous activity followed by something gentle/calming. The same rhythm should be created within each activity too.
  • Each child brings a piece of washed organic fruit or vegetable (already diced) to contribute.
  • One parent will be assisting each week with simple snack prep and other light duties.

 

 Format

-       Children arrive 30-45 mins before circle time for Morning Game

-       Opening Circle

-       Wilderness Exploration

-       Hand Washing

-       Community Snack

-       Main Lesson/ Story

-       Lunch

-       Quiet Sitting

-       Native Skills

-       Closing Circle

 

Activity Details

Opening Circle:  The children are sung into the Circle by the instructors, so that there is an intentional beginning to the playgroup. Using the breathing approach, brisk active songs will alternate with quieter songs. Activities at this time are seasonal. Songs will change monthly

Wilderness Exploration: Parents will be involved in book discussion and handwork projects while the child play and explore the area nearby. Children are free to observe and join the adults if they wish. The parent assistant will be preparing the snack (an organic grain, bowls, spoons will be provided). Children may assist if they want. One instructor will be with the adults and one instructor will be with the children.

Hand washing:  The children will be called by song (“Time to wash your hands”). There will be a bowl with soapy water, another with clean water. The children wash their hands with assistance as necessary. A towel is there for them to dry their hands.

Snack time:  The instructors will sing the children to community snack (“Welcome to the Table”). The group sing a non-religious food blessing (“Earth that gives us… Sun who makes it….”).

Outside Time:   The children are free to leave the table when they have finished eating and go outside to play. During this time parents should be supervise their own children so the instructors can prepare for the following activities.

Main Lesson/Story:  The teacher sings the children in for story time. The children sit in front of the instructors, but behind a long rainbow silk or scarf. The story is always spoken (not read). The story will address one letter of the alphabet each week. The same story will be told on Monday and Wednesday. After the story, the children will be guided in kinesthetic and sensory activities to explore the shape and/or sound of the letter (running the shape of a giant “A”, tracing the shape in the sand, making an “A” with three pine needles, etc)

Lunch: After another round of handwashing, children and parents will eat lunch (each provides own)

Quiet Sitting:  Children and parents will sit back-to-back and sit quietly for a time. We will begin with 5-10 minutes and increase the time as children learn to still their minds and bodies and observe what it around them.

Native Skills: Games will hone sensory awareness and motor skills.

Closing Circle:  The songs for the closing circle will remain the same week to week. The same routine every time lets the children know it is time to go and formal activities have ended. Once you have passed under the silk bridge, you are welcome to leave.

 

 

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Gone to Not-Back-to-School Camp

Posted on August 21, 2011 by jeannie

whoops. Trying to post from an iPhone is hard. I’m in Eugene. Staff orientation starts tomorrow. Met 4 staffers and 1 camper today. This is going to be fun.
No Internet or cell reception until I get back sept7.
Today at the park Christian and I stumbled upon several dozen clowns.
Doing clown things.
Turned out they were a running club with a drinking problem.
Yup.
A hash run.
I wrote about it before. Search for it on my blog if you need an explanation.
Then the guy on the bike said,” I guess that’s one way to kill time. Me, I’m going home to SMOKE hash.”
That’s when I could tell I was really in Eugene.
That, and that we ate at a place called the laughing planet and there was a plastic dinosaur on every table. Christian loved it.

P.S. My post about a has run in Thailand here.

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Fall 2011 Forest Kindergarten

Posted on August 9, 2011 by jeannie

I’m putting together my songs and handplays for the forest kindergarten class I will be teaching for Earthroots in the fall. That’s only a few weeks away!

This list includes all the transition songs as well as the opening and closing circle songs and handplays.

Fall Circle Time Sept 2011
Forest Kindergarten

Follow, Follow Me
Follow, follow me
To the ring of the fairies
Follow, follow me,
Where the fairies dance and sing.
Gather with you now
All the magic you can carry,
As we circle ‘round the dancing fairy ring.

Now Look Around
Now look around
We’ve made a ring
By holding hands you see.
Yes, here I am,
And there you are,
Together we are we.

Morning Song from Betty Jones’s A Child’s Seasonal Treasury
Good morning dear earth. (Crouch, touch ground)
Good morning dear sun. (Rise and extend arms to sky)
Good morning dear rocks and the flowers every one. (Crouch and knock fists on ground, then wave fingers and sway hands for flowers)
Good morning dear beasts. (Remain crouching, put hands on head for horns)
And the birds in the trees. (Flap arms while rising to stand)
Good morning to you and good morning to me. (Bow to others twice, then stand upright and cross arms over chest.)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX7NwaHTW2M]

Tree Poem
if i were a tree
i’d want to see
a bird with a song
on a branch of me.

i’d want a quick
little squirrel to run
up and down
and around, for fun.

i’d want the cub
of a bear to call,
and a porcupine, big,
and a tree toad, small.

i’d want a katydid
out of sight
on one of my leaves
to sing at night.

and down by my roots
i’d want a mouse
with six little mouselings
in her house.
~ by aileen fisher

Shepard’s Hey
I can whistle, I can sing, (Take 7 steps forward clapping, stop)
I can do most anything! (Clap 7 times)
I can dance and I can play, (Take 7 steps backward clapping, stop)
I can do the shepherd’s hey! (Clap 7 times)
Shepherd’s hey (3 claps to the right of the body and up)
Shepherd’s hey (3 claps to the left of the body and up)
I can (clap under right leg, clap above right leg)
do the (clap under left leg, clap above left leg)
shep (clap behind body)
herd’s (clap front of body)
hey! (clap above of head)

The Squirrel
Whisky, frisky, hippity hop (Twirling hands up)
Up he goes, to the treetop (Clap above head)

Whirly, twirly, round and round (Twirling hands down)
Down he scampers to the ground (Clap the ground)

Furly, curly, what a tail (Hands waving as tail behind)
Tall as a feather, broad as a snail.

Where’s his supper? In the shell. (Hands cupped in front)
Snap, crack, out it fell. (Clap twice and show open hands)

My Horses
My white horses like to step
Peaceful and slow,
Over mountains, through valleys,
So upright they go.

My brown horses merrily
Trot in the sun,
With their silver hoofs beating
The ground as they run.

My black horses gallop
With courage around,
And they throw up their heads
As they hammer the ground.

(Children enact horse movements described, moving in one directon around circle. Repeat in opposite direction.)

Finger Fairies by Betty Jones
Fairies funny, five are we.
Laughing, happy as can be.
HA-HA-HA
HEE-HEE-HEE
HO-HO-HO
WEE-WEE-WEE
And away we go!

Repeat verse using other hand.

The Squirrel Song
Autumn time is busy time for little Mister Squirrel
I see him working in my yard in his coat of soft brown fur.
He holds an acorn in his mouth and digs a hole with his front feet in wintertime
when he is hungry he will dig it up to eat.
And if he has not eaten it when winter turns to spring
A little tree will grow from it so straight and strong and green.

The Back Song
Dot, dot, dot
And a big question mark.
Little spiders crawl up your back
Little spiders crawl down your back
Little spiders crawl up your arms
Little spiders crawl down your arms
Cool breeze, tight squeeze.
Egg on the head and the yolk drips down.
Creepy crawlies, creepy crawlies…
Gotcha.

The Story Song
Anything can happen
In a fairy tale or rhyme
When you say the magic words
Once a upon a time

Handwashing Song
Time to wash our hands,
Time to wash our hands

Welcome, welcome
Welcome to our table
Welcome, welcome
We all join hands together. (We sing this until every one is at the table)

Snack Time Blessing
Earth who gives to us this food.
Sun who makes it ripe and good.
Sun above and earth below,
Our loving thanks to you we show.
Blessings on our meal.

Goodbye Circle
Who will come to my wee ring?
My wee ring
My wee ring
Who will come to my wee ring?
And make it a little bit bigger?

The earth stands firm beneath my feet. The sun shines high above. Here I stand, so straight and strong – all things to know and love

I can turn myself and turn myself and stop me when I will. I can reach high on my tippy toes and hold myself quite still.

Goodbye now, goodbye now.
We leave you now
And off we go
Goodbye now
Goodbye to all of you.
Thank you for coming.

Rainbow Bridge Song
Goodbye, goodbye
Blessings on your way.
May the sun shine bright
In your hearts today.

Posted in forest kindergarten, waldorf | Leave a comment

I’ll take that Instagrammed, please

Posted on August 2, 2011 by jeannie

What picture doesn’t benefit from a rosy filter? Or as the Instagram website promises, Make your pictures look like the memory you cherish!

Instagram is a free iphone app that I played with yesterday while housebound with a mildly feverish little boy (he’s better today, thanks).

I am hooked.

My first insta-experiment with Christian's alien lego.

I'm compelled to go through old photos and set new filters.

This picture series cracked me up, because it looked like Christian was taking the photos of himself and Leela. I think they were actually taken from my brother lying in the grass in Bar Harbor. But I'm not sure. All kinds of docs and pics with questionable provenance on my phone and computer when I got home from vacation.

This photo is from Sue and Joss' camera. Would be a sweet profile pic if Leela had a facebook account...

Another one from Sue and Joss' camera. Exuberant play at the U.S.S. Midway. And yes, that's a bomb behind her.

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A Lockpick, not a Locksmith

Posted on August 1, 2011 by jeannie

Songbae locked himself out of his room at Sue’s place in Bangkok, again.

Here’s the video of the lockpick doing his thing. Songbae is suitably impressed (as he aspired to be a canny lockpick in his youth and once ordered a set of tools for that purpose from the back of a comic book).

All I have to say is, with people around with such skills, you realize that you rely daily upon the statistically large population of good-natured neighbors and strangers who simply choose to leave you alone, and not on the supposed barrier of a locked door.

Posted in says Songbae, Thailand | Leave a comment

I Heart Paddleboarding

Posted on July 31, 2011 by jeannie

I think I’ve found my sport.

Have you seen all the folks out on the ocean, standing up and paddling along the coast on something that looks like a surfboard? I dismissed it as a trendy expensive fad – but then one day during an Earthroots Homeschool Field Day class, we saw whales and dolphins out at sea. Right off the shore, actually, at Fisherman’s Cove.

Seeing the whales was a surprise. First I thought I was watching a dolphin arching up at top of the water, but the gray body just kept going, and going, and going – until the whale’s distinctive forked tail flipped and with a start I realized what I was seeing. For a long minute there I thought I might be witnessing my first ever loch ness monster!

That day the water was clear and sparkly, and paddle boarder after paddleboarder filed by us and entered the ocean. Hours later when they started returning, I could hear bits of excited conversation: “the dolphins were all around us!” “did you see those whales?” That’s when I realized that paddleboarding might be a way of getting out into the ocean and closer to the wildlife and freedom there.

Some where between that day in Fisherman’s Cove and my sister’s visit, I determined to organize a paddle boarding lesson for all of us. I got three paddle boards and an instructor for three hours for six adults (and because we’re friends with the instructor, we actually got the paddle boards for the entire week) for $250. It ended up being a graduation treat for Bella and her friend, and early birthday presents for my sister, brother, and brother-in-law.

And despite everybody’s trepidation (the boards were a hassle to transport at first), it all worked out and we got to paddle board several times. Songbae and Joss even went back out the morning of the day we flew back to the east coast – and they saw stingrays gliding underneath them.

The morning of our lesson, though, the surf was uncharacteristically rough at Fisherman’s Cove (usually a popular spot to launch), so our lesson was at the Back Bay in Newport. The bay is not as visually glamorous as the Pacific Ocean, but it turned out to be a perfect place to learn paddleboarding.

We launched from Black Star Beach, which happens to be home to the Newport Aquatic Center (NAC). NAC may be one of the best-kept secrets in Newport Beach. You can rent kayaks for $14/hour and paddle boards for $20/hour – but get this: members can use all the facilities, boats, and boards FOR FREE, and an individual monthly membership is $60. So if you are interested in checking out paddle boarding try a monthly membership at NAC. It would only take 3 hours of paddle boarding to recoup your membership cost!

Besides which, the water was calm and warm there, and the kids played all day on the boats (playing “pirate ship”).

Actually what would really be perfect would be for a group of moms to get together and get a month’s membership at the same time. Then we could plan a couple outings per week for the month, and help each other watch babies, while the other mom’s learned to paddle board. Let me know if you’re interested, because that’s something I plan on organizing in the next year…

The only downside is, well, the ocean is a MUCH more fun place to paddle board and I don’t know of any such deals for renting paddleboards by the beach. (When I went paddle boarding on the ocean, my b-i-l and I circled a rock cropping covered with barking sea lions – it was wild!!!)

 

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The Amazing Jiggling Rainbow Cake

Posted on July 29, 2011 by jeannie

Yup. I made it. Have made it THREE TIMES ALREADY THIS SUMMER. This one was the first one, made in a fancy borrowed bundt pan. We were rushed and we made it (my s-i-l and me) the day of the event we were attending. We were thrilled with the results!

I used the recipe at the link my friend, Sierra, sent me here. There it is referred to as a Spiked Rainbow Salad, or as a variation of a Rainbow Ribbon Cake (because of the vodka).

We’ve been calling it a spiked rainbow jello cake (the party version calls for three cups of vodka), but most recently I’ve received questions about how to make that “diversity cake.” Come to think of it, I guess Waldorf folks share an affinity for rainbows with the “diverse” population.

This cake is a stunner and crowd-pleaser. It’s a little bit sad to see the kids’ faces fall when they’re told that this is a grown-up cake, but that sadness goes away when the vodka warms your bones after the first bite.

The general idea is to make gelatin jello and let it set briefly (15-20 min) before pouring the next level. The technique is easy, but time-consuming as there are 12 layers (six colors with each color having a clear and cloudy layer). Plan on spending five hours or so. Keep in mind that two cakes are just as easy as one.

Tips:

  • an ornate bundt pan makes a more beautiful cake
  • keep everything cold, cold cold. that means chill the vodka in the freezer and the bundt pan in the fridge in advance.
  • best to make this cake THE DAY BEFORE YOU NEED IT

You will need:

  • 6 – 3 oz. packages of jello
  • 3 pkg gelatin (each pkg is about 2 tsp)
  • 3 c flavored vodka (we’ve tried raspberry and vanilla – both are delicious)
  • 1 tub vanilla yogurt

lightly greased bundt pan (we used a Pam spray and then wiped most off)

It helps to have a couple measuring cups when you are juggling multiple colors. You’ll need a whisk and small saucepan as well.

1. Dissolve 1 tsp of gelatin in 3/4 c in the saucepan. Heat and stir until dissolved.

2. Add the first pkg of jello (purple, if you’re doing a rainbow). Stir until dissolved. Remove from heat. At this point I transfer the jello mixture to a glass measuring cup to start the cooling process.

3. Add 1/2 c vodka. Pour half the jello color into the bundt mold.

4. Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes. This is the critical bit, because if the jello is not set enough, the next poured color will make a hole in the previous layer. (Although this hardly shows in the finished product.) You can use a soup spoon to break the pour flow too. If the jello is set too much, then the levels will not stick and when the cake is served the layers will break apart.

So, you are looking for a firm jello that is still sticky to the touch.

As the layers progress it goes faster (because of the mass of the already cooled jello helps cool the new layers).

5. Add 3 T of yogurt to the remaining jello color. When the previous layer is set, pour to add the cloudy layer.

6. Repeat with remaining five colors.

Posted in food, recipes | 3 Comments

My favorite thing

Posted on July 28, 2011 by jeannie

Towards the end of the cruise I asked everybody what had been their favorite thing about the cruise –

My brother said that bunking with Bella (his 17-year old niece) was a highlight (!!); that she’d been good company.

Joss and my mom (she’s 73!) loved the rock climbing.

Sue had a blast gambling (when she could sneak away and get one of us to redeem our new gambler promotion- she did that three times).

Bella loved biking in Portland, driving to Peggy’s Cove in Halifax, and the gourmet ice cream shop we visited in Bar Harbor.

Christian sure loved the all-day, all-you-can eat frozen yogurt.

Chad told me to ask another time when he wasn’t feeling so seasick (it was a Dramamine kind of trip for him).

I forget what my dad said – but I think he enjoyed all his shore tours. And he definitely was enjoying our daily fancy dinner at 8.

Mine was spending time with my new-ish niece Leela.

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments