yes the roses in our garden already bloom like that!

Sophia was invited to her very good friend's birthday. We had a lovely time putting the present together. I never quiet know what to give at a birthday party. Most children that we know already have more than enough. I don't really want to just keep piling on the toys. Personally I like to make something, because then we actually get to really think about the birthday person and put energy into creating something just for them. Because Sophia is enjoying planting seeds lately we decided to make a little seed garden for her friend.

we decorated the pots with flowery fabric rounds;)

In a little while the gift will blossom, literally, and I know both girls will be excited about that!

we shaved the ends of the sticks and wrote the name of the flowers on it. (idea found here). the seeds are in little clay balls purchased here.

sophia's sewing project

This weekend Sophia decided she wanted to learn how to use a sewing machine. Since we recently decided their room will have somewhat of an owl theme, she made an owl. We will mainly use red and blue for decorating. The owl is setting the tone for their room beautifully!

With only very little help she pulled the whole project off. Her ability to concentrate and work diligently never seizes to amaze me.

Here she is showing us her first piece, so happy with her accomplishment:

Yes, this one had to cuddle and hold the owl too! ;)

i feel pretty....

.... oh so pretty!

last night before going out with Theodore

Looking at the pictures made feel giddy and happy. Counted this as a treasured moment!

Owls

I made these feathery friends as a present for certain special people in my life. I think they are so adorable and want to make many more. Because, of course, each my children need at least one, the children in my class, and perhaps one for myself?!

Let me introduce to you: owl 1, 2 &3

peace and painting

It is peaceful right now at home. The children are painting away as I type this.

During our break we established a balanced routine of outdoor and indoor times, of family projects and independent work, of mama time and sophia/mateo with mama time. Balance seems to have always been my answer in creating a joyful and harmonious environment. The scale does not stay balanced on its own though. Constant adjustment is needed to keep balance. Sometimes it is harder and sometimes easier to find the necessary adjustment. Although it is nice when only small changes are needed, the reward however, for when a big change was needed is even bigger. You know what I mean?

Noticing the possibility to bring balance and harmony in our lives makes me happy. It makes me happy in a way that I know it is never to late to turn things around. There is always hope for change and improvement. With determination, awareness, courage and love everything is possible!!!!

I am grateful for my artists, young and older. I am grateful for their creative and colorful presence in my life.

ginger bread house

Sophia went to the neighbors house yesterday. Together the girls built and decorated this ginger bread house. Since they went away for the holidays, we now get to enjoy their magical creation.

The little people in the front, they told me, are Mateo, Sophia, Emma and Grace. I got tears in my eyes when they showed me. They reminded me of a childhood book I read and adored when I was younger. Die Kinder von Bullerbue, in which three families live together in a village and the children all share the holidays together, play, work and spend as much time as possible with each other. Now my children have something like it, and that made my heart soar.

Christmas is coming closer and we are all looking forward to it with great anticipation. Yesterday the Christmas carolers came by. I want to sing and sing and sing all kinds of christmas on christmas eve. That is my wish for Christmas.

winter wonderland

Celebrating the letter Ww has been fun in our classroom. With paper snowflakes and pastel drawings with cotton balls we transformed our classroom into a winter wonderland.

We also prepared holiday presents for our families. We each decorated a plate. The children painted a holiday picture and in it we wrapped the plate. We tied them up with a tag and yesterday we made candles too. I fell in love with the bees wax candle set from Magic cabin. Each child rolled and then decorated a candle. They LOVED it. They all wanted to make more and more.

Their presents will go home tomorrow and you can probably imagine how excited my little pokey little puppies are. ;)

Today is our last day and we now have three weeks of vacation!

a little sewing

I wanted to add a little something new and different to our livingroom. Something to liven things up.

I was glad to find these two (1 and 2) tutorials and am delighted with the way my two new pillows turned out.

playground knitting

Before the school year began, I read an article (part of this series) on playground supervision. This teacher found that if she had something to work on, rather than simply "patrol" across the playground children were more likely to engage in their play and came less often complaining about one thing or another.

I was inspired and while I didn't want to carve as a spoon, like the author of the article had done, I wanted do have a project that is meaningful to me and is something I love to do.

After some thought, I decided to stick with something I was already familiar, such as knitting. Not wanting to carry a big piece around with me, I decided to knit little squares and later sew them together into a quilt. But, psst, nobody on the playground knows this yet. The outcome of this project is not unveiled.

When children ask me what I am doing, as I let them wonder about it. I might look at it, and ask them, what it could be? What could it be that I am knitting? I leave them with the wondering, saying things like "We will just have to see, what it is going to be!"

Usually the child will smile and run off. Sometimes a child will continue to watch me and after a while say, "Oh, I know it is going to be a scarf for tiny babies".

While I believe our school already fosters children to feel safe and responsible on the playground, my mysterious knitting helps me to focus on something constructive and keep the energy happy and engaged. I feel good when I knit, the activity relaxes me and brings me enjoyment. If I can practice happiness and enjoy myself, I have accomplished a major task as a teacher, modeling what I would like them to learn.

Just alone for that purpose, I am glad to have taken on this project.

I hope to show you the end result by the end of this school year. But honestly, it is the process that I am fascinated with right now!

happy spiders in their web art project

"happy spiders in their webs"

On the Friday before Halloween I embarked on this multi process art project with my class.

I have done water color over crayon painting with them before. Every time they love the magic when the water color does not stick on the crayon drawing.

This time we used oil pastels and water color on top. To create the twinkling stars effect children wanted to add some sparkling paint as well. After the paintings dried I painted their hands and helped them make their hand print spiders. Gluing on the google eyes was an extra thrill!

Our happy spiders in their web are still decorating our classroom.

Original project found here.

happy halloween!!!!

I am off to work, but had to share our Halloween costumes. Somehow it always seemed more fun to me creating the costumes yourself! Sophia made the mask herself with some help from her Papa. Everything else I put together, with lots of collaboration! ;)

But, with no further ado please allow me to present

Sophia as Sally the Poodle :

And Mateo the pilot, ready to take flight:

crafty weekend

Last weekend was a whirlwind kind of a weekend, mainly because I myself made it to be one. Cleaning the entire house and finishing the children's halloween costumes.... Unfortunately, this also meant I didn't do what I really ought to be doing on my precious weekends, rest and enjoy the time with my family.

The good news is that I saw last weekend as a reminder to do better this weekend. So, I slowed down. Low and behold all the household chores still got done, just a little slower, but more peaceful instead!

I was inspired by this blog and became crafty and altered two of my tops. I so easily get tiered of my wardrobe and always have something else I would love to exchange or add. Luckily I didn't feel like spending any money right now on more clothes and so I took two shirts I was tiered off and changed them up a bit.

The flowers are made out of felt. Despite the fall weather I love the flowers and color combination. They cheered me up and will continue to cheer me up when I go back to work tomorrow morning! ;)