First Grade Homeschooling Recap: Respecting the Development of our Children

A Typical First Grade Smile :D

Beginning Grade 1 : Day 1 - Two Students...

Two Different Reactions...

Charley, my eager to please daughter...

Developmentally mature and Ready to

Take on Grade 1!

And Elena (or part of her anyway) my

Developmentally "Immature"

Grade 1 daughter - very bright, but

still walking on air...

I normally don't blog about development issues, but my friend Catherine, who also has twins (and a wonderful blog found here) asked me yesterday if I ever have days where the girls don't cooperate or don't want to do school and how I handle it. After losing a long reply to her, I realized I had too much to say on this subject and it deserves an actual post. I will bear my soul here...and be forewarned...this is l-o-n-g...

With twins, it has humbled me as a parent as I can literally *compare* the girls side by side. They may look a lot alike and they are BFF's (most of the time, anyway), but they really couldn't be more different emotionally and developmentally.

Our history: After a high risk pregnancy and hospitalization at 30 weeks due to a shortening cervix and preterm labor, I gave birth vaginally at 37 weeks, in the operating room (required by the hospital) with Charley (at just over 6 lbs) requiring vaccuum extraction after I pushed for over an hour with an infection (fever) and my anemia, losing blood fast. It wasn't a great experience...a mere 17 minutes later, the doctor pulled all 5 lbs of Elena out, feet first - (I felt everything!) yes, a vaginal twin birth, including a vaginal footling breech, thanks to her sister, who had paved the way for her!

Charley was difficult that fist year or two - colicky, breastfeeding issues, a UTI at 10 weeks of age, demanding - literally waking up to 9 times a night - no joke. She slept no more than 45 minutes at a crack for most of her first year, which was mainly in our bed. Those teeth really did a number on her and she's not good with pain. With no help nearby, refusing to let her cry it out, and a hubby who worked 80 hours/week, I was exhausted! But wait...I also had another newborn to attend to (parents of triplets and quads...you are my heroes!)

Thank God for Elena. She was my angel baby. If she had been remotely "difficult", I think that I would have crumbled. Elena was so good, and so patient - the easiest baby in the world - always being breastfed last, attended to last, sitting next to Charley who was screaming in her face (literally) as they slept in our bed with us. Very rarely could I nurse them together, as Charley would scream and get so upset if I moved slightly to tandem nurse and she got bumped off her rhythm. If it weren't for Elena, who was a natural nurser and got my milk really going, I am not sure Charley would have gotten the hang of breastfeeding. I didn't supplement or pump or anything. I made a commitment to breastfeeding and stuck it out though countless tears, but it took a good month or two for Charley to really get going as a nurser and Elena helped so much with my milk production. What would I do without my angel baby...We all owe her so much...

Flash forward to age 6, when we began Grade 1 and now it is Elena who is my light sleeper, who is my *cling-on*, who needs much patience and reassurance. She is very sensitive emotionally and cries a lot. We had a *squeaking problem* in 1st Grade. She escalates easily and compares everything. I can't help, but wonder if it was a result of her being second fiddle for so long. I had heard that Attachment Parenting produces very secure children and I see it in Charley, but I see how Elena, being made to wait during a very difficult, sleep deprived time, has been shaped by her experiences. I've tried hard the past 4 years to "make it up to her" and perhaps have now fostered this behavior. I know I did the best I could at the time. It's easy to look back now, with experience and question things, but the first three days after their birth, I literally got 3 hours of sleep total. That set the precedence. It didn't improve a whole lot until the girls were 3 and started to sleep much better. I even weaned Charley at 2.5 years old, thinking it would help her sleep, but really made it harder to get her down to sleep. I wouldn't do that again, if I could go back in time...

Months of getting up 9-11 times a night with no relief (no sitters or help, except DH on most weekends) left me a bit of a zombie going from day to day. No wonder I didn't feel *ready* to have more children until my girls were 4 years old! Then I got sick with my allergies, but that's a whole other story - lol!

Developmentally, the girls are very different.

* Charley is very mature for her age. She was practically born with a heavy gate. She knows what she wants and isn't shy about getting it. She's already shown abstract thinking at a very young age. She's lost 5 teeth (starting as a late 5 yr old) and now at 7 years and 3 months, she has 2 more that are loose. She is one of those kids that makes those connections and says profound things. Charley has been able to read some difficult words at a young age (before I found Waldorf, I started phonics at age 3.5, but did pull back to *correct* my mistake and managed to put them back to sleep :D) Reading is now coming organically to her and while she claims she can't read, she can, though I am staying away from practicing until Grade 2...

* Elena only recently has taken a heavier gate. She was one of those kids whose feet hardly touched the ground - she would literally float on air, all smiles and innocence. She is bouncy, wiggly, emotional, and hasn't actually lost any teeth yet. Though she, like Charley, has shark teeth, so she would have lost the bottom two, if they were lined up correctly. The tooth fairy is waiting patiently in the wings...Elena is going to be fantastic with math. She started doing puzzles when she was only 2 years old, working patiently on them until she finished. She is a wiz at tangrams and sees patterns in everything. She has a great memory, but she's not really reading much yet and I'm happy about that. I would say they are about 2 years apart in some aspects.

So when we started first grade, Elena wasn't anywhere near as ready as Charley, who was quite eager and excited to learn. You can see in the pictures, that Elena spent much of the first two months of grade one hiding under the table - or under our piano. She hides when she gets upset and cries, though I can now see her coming out of that stage - even her crying is somewhat forced now. My baby is growing up! I have learned that she needs to hide and cry and I have to allow her to do so, so that she feels better. I then can pull her into my arms to snuggle. If I it try too soon, she escalates. She has taught me much...

So, to answer your questions, Catherine,

"I wonder if they always happily participate to the activities and lessons that you bring up. What do you do when they start doing silly things together (we both know twins are reknowned for that!) or when they do not feel like learning or paying attention to the lesson?"

No, they don't always happily participate, though it has improved a lot since we started in the fall. I believe it is all dependent on the developmental readiness of the child, along with how the material is presented (and if they are tired, hungry, over-stimulated from too much activity, etc). We've had many, many days that have been challenging in Grade 1. Like we adults do, our children have off days or days they just don't feel like doing school and I have learned to be flexible.

On those days, I would just lead by example. Charley & I would continue and try to draw Elena in. It worked when it was timed to her readiness. Then she would join in and often want to continue well past the allotted time. Other times it wouldn't work and I would just move onto the next thing. You will notice in the early days of Grade 1, through the blog, that often Elena is absent in the pictures (like doing yoga). I allowed her to be absent, but present through observation on the sidelines where she was more comfortable.

If Elena wasn't a twin, I would have probably waited to start Grade 1 until January - ah...a benefit of homeschooling. But Charley was clearly yearning to jump in and because they are twins, I didn't want Elena to feel like she was behind Charley intellectually or academically. So I decided we'd start in Sept and I would allow Elena to work at her own pace. She has done that, done well, and has caught up to Charley in many areas, even surpassing her in some. My experience has completely supported the years of reading I've done on delaying academics and how those children do often catch up and surpass those who started way too young. They aren't burned out and they are inspired and excited about learning, as they are hungry for it! It clicks because you have allowed that connection time to be made - rather than making your child feel it's too hard, simply because they haven't been allowed that time to develop! Learning to read at age 4 can be done by some mature children, but it will be more difficult, even for them, than if they are 7 or 8 or 9 or even 10 years old. I loved reading about the Colfax family, who sent 3 out of their 4 children to Harvard (two of the children were adopted so it wasn't a genetic thing), but the oldest, who was the first homeschooler to be admitted to Harvard, didn't learn to read until he was 9 years old and by age 10, he was checking out college textbooks from the library!

With Waldorf, I am very drawn to what speaks to a child when - so even a child who is very advanced intellectually (or *gifted*, as they say) will benefit from the fairy tales told in Grade 1 or the Fables/Saints/Heroes in Grade 2, etc, etc. So as long as Elena was listening to the fairy tales and hearing stories that took place in our Maths Blocks, I was happy she was getting soul nourishment and having fun playing within the creativity that is waldorf!

I've also had to change things to suit their strengths and weaknesses. Charley does not like to write, so I allow her several days to finish copying verses into her MLB, whereas Elena will do them all in one sitting. One of the great things about homeschooling is that you can be flexible and tailor everything individually to your child or children! We have to remember that we are not waldorf schools, nor do I want to attempt to replicate a school of any kind. I believe strongly in the strength and energy of a home setting and our learning is not confined or restricted by the walls or a clock, or even other children with different needs than our own. For my family and our goals, the home is the ideal place to spend childhood - to learn and to develop. So I try not to get caught up in playing school at home or even getting caught up in what would be considered a "purist" mentality because that has the potential to destroy what I believe was one point Steiner believed very strongly in - bringing the lessons from within to the students as individuals, which stems from my own thoughts, my own being and I work into that the individual needs and goals of my family. I try hard to allow the lessons to reflect my inner self, and not just an interpretation of what he may have discussed for a particular institutionalized setting during the time of his life. And just to clarify, while homeschooling is right for us, I am aware that it is not right for every family. Many traditional schools and certainly waldorf schools are surely fantastic and would give my girls things that I can not. On the alternative, I am giving them things that those schools can not, so it's a matter of what works for each individual family. I know several mothers who would love to homeschool, but for one reason or another, can not and they do an amazing job balancing out what their children receive as they grow, because they are aware and in-tuned with those needs.

As far as silliness goes - YES! Twins really do have a sacred relationship and are often in their own world with their own language and jokes :D And ya know what, I usually try to let them go with it. I think having a schedule really helps and while it might be hard at first to get it going, it does become habit and then they know what will be expected of them and usually comply without much craziness. In our kindy year, we did *school* in the afternoons as I wanted the primary focus of their day to be full of free play. We'd mainly play, but would also run errands and go ice skating or to art class in the mornings and then in the afternoon would do *school*, which consisted mainly of stories, gardening, art within the Waldorf medium, baking, etc. We usually did *school* 3 days a week.

In Grade 1, we tried doing school 4 days a week, within the hours of 9am - 12pm, though it would sometimes start before or run afterwards. The rest of the day is mainly free play and errands. Our main lesson usually only took 30 minutes of actual MLB time and it took no more than 2 hours of total time, so having that additional hour built in, allowed for silly rages to happen, be appreciated, and gotten over. I think keeping it as simple as possible is best. And give yourself more time, rather than less, to accomplish what you'd like to during that main lesson time. That also will allow for more time to continue with something enjoyable or take off with it and spin it into something they want to do. I encourage creativity and independent thinking, so if I planned one particular experience with wet-on-wet watercolor painting, I would assume they'd want to do two more paintings that were self inspired. This way, I felt like we accomplished what I wanted, and they felt their own creativeness was fed and their ideas and needs, respected.

I think working in rhythms is so valuable - focusing on switching from inward to outward activities (like breathing in and out) can't be underestimated. There is much written about this in the various waldorf books.

Have patience. Allow yourself to take in each moment. Don't get too caught up in getting it "just right". Enjoy the journey and relax. Your children will feed off of this, as well...

I'd recommend reading the developmental books by Louise Bates Ames. They are broken down by age from 1-14 (I believe). They are carried by most libraries. Here is the age 6 book from the Steiner College Bookstore...they will give you an idea of what is happening developmentally so you kind of know what you might experience and also, that like everything, it changes. The beauty of life...

I also highly recommend checking out Carrie's wonderful The Parenting Passageway blog, if you haven't already. She's an AP, waldorf inspired homeschooling mom who writes extensively about development and parenting , teaching, living. Her blog is full of wonderful reminders, advice, help, knowledge - you name it!

If you're interested in joining a discussion group about development in relation to Steiner, my friend Lisa started a yahoo group found here where we are reading and discussing Steiner's "Practical Advice to Teachers." It is just beginning, so come join in if you want!

Elena, working on her first forms, about an hour later on that first day...Deep concentration, focus and present in the lesson...

Now I can see a huge difference in Elena from Sept until now. She no longer hides under the table or the piano when it's school time. She no longer squeaks (for the most part). She still doesn't always want to participate in circle time (which we ended up modifying to fit our homeschool and don't do every school day), but she does more often than before. She also is more verbal when it comes time to reciting things. She's talking so much more than before - to the point where she is rambling on and on...but I don't mind :D I'm happy she is growing into herself. She walks with a heavier gate, though she still is only about 1/2 way incarnated. The rest of her is still in the spiritual realm...and I hope she always keeps at least one toe in there :D

A Waldorf Eye

A lovely focus of Waldorf schooling:
Beheld in the eye of nature...

Yesterday, we wrapped up the girls last art class with one of the local homeschooling groups to which we belong. The girls have been taking from Jerry since they were 4, initially since it was the only class they were *old enough* to take through the group, but then it became a nice way to socialize with other little friends, a wonderful and compassionate instructor, and another way to incorporate art into our curriculum.


After class, we headed outside, as per usual, to play in the local park next to the building...

Elena had some much needed introspective swinging, while Charley went to work with her imagination, creating a beautiful fairy forest with fallen branches from the large oak above the park. As I sat and watched her, I realized how wonderfully nurturing and nature centered our Waldorf schooling has been. All those baskets of nuts, twigs, rocks, shells, silks, wool, sand, and other natural goodies have kept the girls focused on the beauty of simple things and how to create *something* out of *nothing*. I'm very happy with our Waldorf journey...

Dig! Dig! Dig! Rake just so.

Plant the seeds, watch them grow.

Chop! Chop! Chop! Pull out weeds.

Warm rain and sun, my garden needs.

Up! Up! Up! Green stems climb.

Open wide, it's blossom time!

~ Wynstone's "Spring"

Our Newest Family Member!!!!

The girls at the Pasadena Humane Society

Sadly, our little PeeWee passed away on May 5th. We had him about 2 weeks and I'm not sure what happened as he seemed to be thriving. In any case, we gave him a proper burial and loved him as best we could...

I had been looking online at the local shelters, in search of a dog that was running out of time and that no one else seemed to want. Now that my babies are growing up and Farley is getting older, we thought it would be nice to save the life of an innocent animal. It's wonderful for kids to experience pet ownership and participate in the care and responsibility. Also an awareness of rescuing, instead of supporting breeding for money, can not be underestimated. There are way too many cats and dogs put down daily. It is heartbreaking.

Since Farley is older and not that big (and has a bit of the Napoleon complex), we knew we'd have to look for a smaller dog. I have been told that adding a younger dog will perk up an older dog and can even increase their lifespan. Farley's brother died of lymphoma 5 years ago, but I was too overwhelmed with my 2 year old girls to responsibly add another dog to our family then.

We decided to visit the Humane Society shelter in Pasadena as there was a little black dog with only one eye who had a rough start and had been waiting for his forever family for almost 2 months. His time was about to expire. So off we went the week before Mother's Day...


This little guy is about 4 years old (though the vet thinks he might be 3) and was found all bloodied as a stray on March 27th. They suspect he was either attacked by another dog or a juvenile coyote. It is possible, even, that a human did this to him. No one came forth to claim him. He was unwanted and alone. His eye was in such bad shape that they were forced to remove it. He was in a lot of pain and growling at everyone. Once his eye healed a bit, they realized one of his testicles didn't descend and was stuck in the canal, so he had another surgery to remove that and was neutered. And then he sat and sat and sat...

I think he was waiting just for us...

We filled out paperwork and were assigned to an adoption coordinator who gave us the scoop on this little guy. He was a bit aloof and more interested in smelling the room he had never been in. I asked Kevin if anyone else had shown any interest in him and he sadly said, "no". I was told that for some reason, people tend to overlook black dogs and black cats. It even has a name : "Black Dog Syndrome". No one wants them. I'm not sure if they look mean or just don't stand out as much as a white or brown dog might. He is also a chihuahua or a mix of one and no one wants chihuahuas. They are the most common dog found in the Los Angeles shelters thanks partially to Paris Hilton showcasing her dog, and the movie "Beverly Hills Chihuahua". Overbred as an *accessory*, people quickly realized how much work they are. Chi's are not easy to train and I've been told are even harder to own than large breeds are. As a first time owner of a chi, I am experiencing this first hand! Second on the list overrunning the shelters are pit bulls. And most people don't want a dog with one eye. So this guy hadn't even been out to be played with by any interested families - he had three strikes against him. But yet...he gave us a few kisses and I knew he had a lot of potential.

Unlike the county shelters, the Humane Society insists on meeting the entire family and then, any other pets in your home to be sure the dog will be compatible. We were interviewed in detail to make sure we had full fencing in our yard and signed a contract to promise that we wouldn't not keep the dog out of doors. If the dog does not work out, you must return it to the shelter and can not even give it away to someone else. They have committed to the safety and happiness of that pet.

So the next day, we brought Farley in to meet him. And it was mutual indifference :D I figured they would be a good fit!


And the rest, as they say, is history! We had to wait until we got back from our trip up north over Mother's Day and then went in last Wed to break our baby out of jail!

Here he is with an adorable Maltese mix that also got adopted out - yeah!

I was crying when we went to get him. He is just so sweet and was almost out of time there.

Charley held him on the long ride home...we had a crate, but he just melted in her arms so I let her hold him...

We went right to PetSmart to get him a cushy bed and lots of treats and toys...

And did a proper reintroduction on neutral grounds, making sure to walk them both into the house together - with Farley (as alpha) in the lead.

He LOVES the girls and loves to play and be carried around. He's such a joy (though we're working hard on potty training).

He loves his travel crate that a friend gave to us.

And is often found lying in the sun or in his cushy bed. It is clear that he is very happy in his new home and most likely hasn't had such comforts before (certainly not in the shelter where even the smallest of dogs have nothing, but concrete floors to lay on). He's quite hilarious as he runs around the kitchen and family room with one of his toys, rolling over onto his back and grasping the toy awkwardly with his front paws. Only then, when his ears are flapped back, does he actually look like a chihuahua, but as I told him in the shelter, "We don't care if you only have one eye, or three legs! We love you just the way you are!" He and Farley are getting along very well and we're all signed up for obedience and training classes so that he can be the very best doggie he can be!

Our Little "Jacky"

p.s. we're still open to name suggestions. We've been calling him Jack for "Jack Sparrow" - "Captain Jack" - "Black Jack" etc. We thought it would add character to him if we acknowledge his one eye in a positive way :D Suggestions welcomed!!!!

Organizing with Children

Yeegads! My house always looks like a tornado blew through it!!! No matter how much I clean up one room, when I head into the next room, the tornado has touched down again!!! It moves from room to room as I move like a geriatric behind it.

Probably my most difficult hardship as a homeschooling momma is keeping my house clean. I admit - I come from a long line of pack rats who have a hard time throwing anything away. My Gran used to sweep up her driveway using my Grandpa's old license plate as a dust pan...when she'd get a run in her nylons, she'd cut that leg off and wear one leg in the hose and put on a second pair, also a survivor of a run with one missing leg - problem solved - voila! With the excess panty hose, she'd cut them into strips to tie up her boxes with - everything and I mean everything can be reused one way or another!

Well in comes the next generation of pack rats who find a use for everything...a recipe for disaster, among a lot of creativity...

Finally...finally...finally...my husband ran out and bought us some very, very (did I say VERY) cheap bookshelves. $15.00 a pop! Yep, we really splurged. With homeschooling expenses, I just couldn't justify spending more on one bookshelf than on the entire curriculum for next year. They aren't real wood, of course, but they'll do.

And now, my baskets are off the floor...


Everything has it's place...my house appears organized and clean...

And then my babies get up and start to play, discovering a nice clean spot to set up and have some creative free play...

Flashing through the house like little tornadoes from one room to the next...

And next thing I know, my house is an instant mess again...

But creative genius' are at work here...

And now I have my bookshelves...(and more are on the way...)

The Link Between Angels and Men...

I just couldn't resist this. My sister in law recently had her fourth baby and for a shower, there were beautiful Chinese fortune cookies decorated with baby booties. One of them had the most profound and inspiring sentiment which was penned by the English poet, Martin Farquhar Tupper. So, in honor of the Chinese New Year, focusing on spring and new birth, I thought I would share it...(also thinking of you, Kelly!)

A babe in the house is a well-spring of pleasure,

a messenger of peace and love,

a resting place for innocence on earth,

a link between angels and men.

Hugs to all you mommas who have been blessed with little ones, and also to those who haven't yet - but will be in due time! Happy Chinese New Year!

Taa Daaaahhhh! Another Lovely Revelation or Two!

This is a picture of Charley doing a one handed cartwheel a few months ago. Taaaa Daaaahhhhh!

She was always more mature and grounded - perhaps more on the choleric side, with a heavier gate and her mind made up. She's a born leader and often speaks to us on a more profound level than we expect from a 6 year old.

The other day, she told me that she much prefers stories being told to her, rather than me reading a book to her with pictures. When I asked her why, she replied:

"Because I can create my own pictures in my head and then they look how I imagine them to look..."

Wow...our children come to earth with such powerful minds and images. How often do we fall into the trap of thinking we have to provide *everything* for them to blossom. Charley's comment reminds me to give our children more credit and freedom to allow their imaginations to grow by providing the framework of a story, but giving them our trust and the independence to use their own brilliant little minds to create their own images and even to take over and embellish the story. Weave that into our storytelling tales and quickly our little creative beings will take over and run wild with their precious imaginations!

Revelation Two:

This morning, my husband caught Charley in the bathroom with toothbrush in hand, searching for another toothpaste tube - though there was one in front of her that was full. Tony asked her what she was doing and she replied,

"I'm looking for the one that's almost all gone so we can finish it before we open the new one..."

I haven't made it a practice to talk to them about things like using up old toothpaste tubes or cereal boxes before opening new ones - so much of what they learn is through imitation and silent observation. Our children are always watching and always listening.

This was another sweet moment that makes parenting so gratifying & confirms how important it is that we model good behavior. We can learn so much from each other...and it goes both ways :)

Now, maybe I should take a lesson from the girls and get on that gymnastics mat and do some cartwheels and exclaim, "Taaaa Daaaaaahhhh"! Not only is it fun and healthy, but it will help keep me in the heart of my own inner child...

"Playing with my Imagination"

It's amazing to me how children naturally know things that we adults must "discover" and ponder over for years until a light bulb goes off in our heads...I was recently having a discussion with my sister about how our lives have changed and how the girls have been affected by the introduction of Waldorf into our homelife. I told her I noticed that they are much more in tuned with nature. I have also noticed an explosion with their creative play. They were always creative, but it's somehow on a higher level now, if that makes any sense...and I think it will to others who have or are experiencing it.

We still have some plastic toys which are limited in *what* they are/do, but the girls are starting to abandon them on their own in preference of more natural, unlimited toys and even beyond that, playing with their imagination...

This morning, one of my 6 year old daughters (C) announced that she and her sister were done with the plastic animal toys they were playing with so that they could play with their imagination instead. I asked what she meant by that and she responded with,

"We're going upstairs to play the deer game, using our imagination. It's much more fun than playing with toys." (The deer game is a game they made up with their very creative grandmother, in which they are deer. They entirely immerse themselves in this kind of play)...

I asked her why it was more fun to use her imagination and she replied, "The toys are always the same. When we play with our imagination, everything is different and we can create new fun all the time!"

I gave her a hug and told her how proud I was of her that she is so creative and is enjoying her imagination. She happily bounded upstairs, still talking and I heard her exclaim, "I love playing with my imagination! It's like I'm taking off my head and playing with it!"

Then she launched into a song about "imagination" that she made up at the top of her lungs...

Go Steiner! And I am a very satisfied mom indeed :)

Watermelons!

Watermelons!

This week Syrendell sent me (Jen) a Watermelon Award. Sweet!

I accept and reciprocate by sharing six things that make me happy:

1. My husband! When I was in college, I was on a career path and there was no room in my immediate future for a real romance. But boy did I learn that some things are just meant to be when I met my husband senior year and after 4 days of dating, he told me he could marry me based on those days...That was almost 17 years ago and we are still so much in love. I am so lucky that I have met my soulmate, who loves me unconditionally (even with my twin skin on my belly from carrying the girls full term). And I am grateful for his love and commitment and cherish him as my other half.

2. My babies! They go hand in hand with my hubby. I always knew I wanted children and I knew the love between us would be amazing, but I never realized how much I would learn from them. They have taught me patience. They have taught me that you can't plan everything - sometimes, you just have to go with the flow. They have taught me to love life and marvel at even the most simple moments. They are such a gift to us and I dedicate myself to their care and hearts. They brought me closer to God for many, many reasons. I see such mystery in their eyes and the magnificence of their great souls.

3. Homeschooling...I never planned this, but like attachment parenting, it just felt right and was an extension of it. I love being with my children and seeing those moments when something clicks or when they want to share a special find with me. I love being with them every day and the closeness we hold so sacred. I love that they love and need me and each other in a way that is supportive of our desire for a family centered upbringing. We root each other, so to speak.

I had read a beautiful passage once in a Samuel Blumenfeld book which equated homeschooling to breastfeeding. It said that homeschooling is the "mother's milk" of education. I thought that was an amazing realization and I completely agree with it!

4. Creative Writing...I've always loved to write and started writing novellas at the early age of 8. My husband was a history major and is very creative and I love when we work together on creative writing projects. He is an amazing storyteller and I have learned so much from his guidance. I hope that one day, we will reach the stage of publication (send us your positive vibes :)

5. Animals...I am an animal lover, who unfortunately has allergies to most critters, but they make me so happy. I still feel like a 5 year old in a pet shop and want to adopt all creatures, large and small (though I admit I am a bug-a-phobe...) We love our puppy and are adopting some ratties this weekend! If I didn't have cat and dog allergies, we'd HAVE to move to a farm where I could house them all - LOL!

6. The Ocean...though we don't go nearly enough, there is nothing so relaxing and soothing as just sitting on a beach and listening to the waves. The kids have such fun just being in nature and I feel the fresh salt water rejuvenating my smog infested LA lungs! Just kidding...I love the beaches, especially in Malibu in the winter when there are no crowds. It is otherworldly and the forces of the water and the unknown, I find fascinating...can I also say that I love the moon, the stars, road trips with my family, needle felting and working with my hands, singing...OK, now I'm cheating...anyway, thanks for reading and...

In turn, I nominate these six, refreshing mammas (in no particular order):

Linda: Linda is an inspiring homeschooling Momma who knits the most beautiful characters, using gorgeous natural materials. She is amazingly creative and I love to see the hands-on activities she does with her children on their homeschooling journey. Though we're an ocean away, and then some, I feel a special kinship to Linda.

Shauna: I am happy to count Shauna as a friend of mine whom I met through our local homeschooling group. She has four adorable children and is out there on hikes and at field trips with babes and toddlers in arms and a smile on her face. She is nurturing, creative and compassionate and I think she's a pretty special momma :).

Lisa: Lisa is an amazingly creative and in-tune earth momma. I am consistently blown away by her ability to share so much with her children and with the blogging community. I really don't know where she finds time for everything, but she is doing a fantastic job inspiring her children and followers, like moi!

Artemis Moon: I am new to following her blog, but I enjoy it immensely and hope she can post even more great ideas more often :) From what I've seen, there is a pure innocence and a refreshing quality to her blog...I'm not quite sure how to capture it with words, but perhaps it is sprinkled with pixie magic :)

Jalama Dreams: The Scolari family has jumped in heads/hands/heart and Momma and daughter volunteer at a living history site in the central coastal area of California. She's learning how to card and spin her own wool and I'm excited to follow their journey and hope to meet them one day!

Jane: Jane makes the most beautiful planning pages that I love to use. She is an all natural momma who is hands on and inspirational. Her lovely heart shines through her wonderful blog posts.

I would love to hear what makes you happy, but please don't feel obligated. There is much love to go around; pass the melons!