The gift of now...

Every moment is precious. Enjoy the present. Blah, blah, blah....

For a person that lists "Carpe Diem!" as a favorite quote on my Facebook page it seems incredibly ironic that I have quite sadly NOT been following through with my own mantra.

I blame the uncertainty of our moving situation. I blame the plans that need to be made but can't be until we know when we're moving. *sigh* I blame the stage of life I'm in where it seems that all moms are desperately clinging to that magic word that gets us through the day - bedtime. But in all truthfulness, I blame myself.

I have always had a problem with relaxing. Doing nothing is an art I simply have never cared to master. So when my darling hubby informed me of his upcoming promotion that would relocate our family to Nashville, TN (but he didn't know when he would begin the position because it depended on a variety of factors I have no desire to bore you with here) I was thrilled for him. I, however, was not thrilled with the idea of doing nothing. No registering for preschool, no planning, no house shopping...not until the position officially began...and who knows when that would be. I was to do nothing. Of course in my mind for everything there is a purpose, an objective, and a plan to accomplish it - or so I always believed.

But God has been interrupting my philosophy on living the last few months. In the midst of uncertainty and a time that should be fraught with worry he is teaching me stillness. In the chaos of raising two small children he is teaching me peace. In moments where I tend to get too far ahead of myself and start planning my future I feel His gentle hand on my shoulder guiding me to rest in Him.

Trust me when I say this reliance did not come easy. I certainly didn't wake up one morning with the resolve to chill out and the ability to accomplish it on my own. I could sing "Take it Easy" all day long and I doubt it would do me a bit of good...though The Eagles do lift my spirits a bit. ;)

God has used people and scripture in the most unconventional ways at the most unexpected times to get his point across to me. God is good at unconventional. He is exceptional at the unexpected...and he always, ALWAYS delivers.

Friends of mine have spoken words of truth when I needed it the most. Sometimes they weren't even speaking to me...I just had the pleasure of overhearing him. (Which I am certain God orchestrated...nothing is coincidence.) One friend told me that she had the phrase, "Be patient, be peaceful, be present" on her mirror to remind her how to live each day. This could not have come at a better time for me. Another friend shared that some of her sweetest moments have been resting in God in that very moment and allowing Him to reveal everything in His perfect time. Each word of encouragement lifted me higher and pushed me to the place I should have been living all along. The moment of NOW. The gift of the present experienced in the best way possible, leaning into God and feeling him catch me. Like those trust games one plays in 6th grade church camps. Only this was no game.

Perhaps no one has been a greater asset to teaching me to live in the moment than my 14 month old son. A child with a vocabulary limited to his current favorite word, "ball." Leave it to God to choose my baby to teach me something I so urgently needed...and to teach it without words at that! Unconventional and unexpected, right?!

We were playing quite contently in the backyard one afternoon waiting for sissy to wake up from nap. We watered the flowers. We swung on the swing. We played at the sand table. All in all we were having a marvelous time on a glorious spring day. We were active. We were doing something. I watched Beckett toddle about the yard for a few minutes until he settled himself onto the sled in the middle of the yard (don't ask.) I went and sat with him. We sat....and sat. And sat. Several times I found myself getting restless and thinking of what we could go do. My mind started to wander....we could go swing again, we could get snack ready, we could... And then I looked at him sitting happily (yes, on a sled in Texas in March) and I realized he was perfectly content with what he was doing. Plucking grass merrily from the ground and crunching leaves in his small hands. He wasn't just content, he was joyful. He was savoring the moment. He was enjoying the blessing of the beautiful weather. And he was teaching me to do the very thing I'd been fighting my whole life. Doing nothing. But in that nothingness finding everything.

God knows where I'm going to end up. He's had it planned from the beginning. I have full faith that he will place me exactly where I need to be, when I need to be there, to serve His will, and bring glory to Him. I think he just had a few things to teach me first. ;)

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34

Carpe Diem, everyone!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Birthday

My favorite book from childhood has recently grown even more popular...thanks in part to the new line from Pottery Barn Kids. I adore Eric Carle's vibrant and cheerful artwork, particularly from The Very Hungry Caterpillar. There's something about it that just exclaims the simple joys of childhood! That being said, my children have more than a few Eric Carle things: they dressed as The Very Hungry Caterpillar duo for Halloween this year (Blake as the butterfly and Beckett as the caterpillar,) Beckett has the shoes, Blake has the Memory Game, they both have the PB Kids dish sets...and if that wasn't enough I decided that my life simply wouldn't be complete without throwing a Very Hungry Caterpillar birthday party for my little caterpillar, John Beckett! We had just a few close friends over to share the special day and the decor would have made Eric Carle, himself, proud! ;) Here's a few pics to commemorate Beckett's 1st Birthday:

 I designed and printed Beckett's invites from home on linen textured cardstock I purchased from a local stationary store in Fort Worth, Paper Planet.

His invite, book, and caterpillar "friend" were proudly on display in the foyer.

These flags, constructed from scrapbook paper, cardstock, and strung with green yarn, made for a low cost, high impact visual. A BIG thank you to the lovely, Jamie Cain, for cutting the triangles for all the patterned paper!

Oh-so-easy tissue pom-poms are constructed with 10 sheets of tissue paper and 1 pipe cleaner...seriously, that's it! Instructions can be found on Martha Stewart's website. Very simple...albeit, a bit time consuming!

Paper lanterns (courtesy of the incomparable, Jennifer Smith) pack another visual punch to our food table.

I made some quick-fix lemonade, but floated lemon slices for a festive look!

Bright primary colored treat bags from Target.

Delicious cupcakes from Amy's Cakery at The Brownstone Village in Arlington.

Anna and Sweet Sophia

A kiss from his mama!

Happy Birthday to you!

Not quite sure what to think!

"Oh, this is a BIG cupcake!"

Cute Carson!

Big Sister, Blake, enjoyed her cupcake!

Beckett got his first basketball...Papa is so proud! ;)

What is Montessori?

I get this question fairly often...and it's no surprise!

There's a lot of mystery that shrouds the word itself - Montessori. What is it? A person? A philosophy? A type of educational materials? Well...yes, yes, and yes.

To be perfectly honest, I had no idea myself for the longest time. In fact, I was an education major and the little information I received on Montessori in my "Foundations of American Education" course was grossly inaccurate.

Here's some basic info on what Montessori IS:

• Montessori education emphasizes internal motivation.
• The classroom is a precisely prepared environment for individual instruction and self-paced learning.
• Teachers have to be acutely aware of the level each child is working at and present them with individualized lessons that challenge them accordingly. The amount of work involved for the teacher in keeping track of each child's level and progress is very rigorous.
• The morning work cycle is for uninterrupted work time. Then the class may have music/story time, a cultural presentation (a different continent in studied each month in the pre-primary classrooms), cooking lessons, lessons in the outdoor classroom, ect.
• Teachers show students how to create order and discover principles by means of carefully demonstrated lessons that can then be practiced at will. Lesson are given one-on-one or in small groups.
• The multi-age classrooms allow students the unique opportunity to act in the role of youngest, middle, and oldest at some point during their three years in the classroom.
• The students live in community together, each one having roles in the classroom to benefit the group. It emphasizes an ownership of their environment.
• They eat family style, one child setting out place mats, another forks, another knives, another glassware, ect. After eating children are responsible for clearing their places, throwing away trash, taking dishes to the sink, and wiping down the table.
• Teachers at a fully certified Montessori school are not only required to have a four year college degree, but a Montessori certification (two year minimum), and many hold Master's degrees.
• Introduction of new lessons is tailored to the individual needs and interests of each child.
• Within constructive limits, a student can work on his or her lessons at whatever pace and in whatever order he or she chooses.
• Independence, initiative, responsibility for making choices, and persistence in seeing tasks through to completion are qualities fostered by this approach. (i.e. Children are required to finish the work they choose and return it to it's proper place.)
• *My favorite factor in a Montessori environment is the fact that there is simply NO limit in what the students can learn. They are not restricted by curriculum...if a 5 year old student has successfully completed all the mathematics work in their classroom they simply begin introducing them to elementary level work. The same goes for the 6th level (6th grade) students...the teacher simply continues to present them with work that challenges them at the level they are at...they never have to wait till they reach the next grade. It is for that reason that many students work at a level far advanced for their age group (compared to a traditional classroom.)

I spent this past Saturday at my daughter's school walking through a four-hour demonstration called "Journey of Discovery." I was able to experience the work in each classroom: toddler (18 months-3 years), pre-primary (ages 3, 4, 5), lower elementary (1-3rd grade), and upper elementary(4th-6th grade.) I was able to study the materials used at each level to teach everything from shapes and letter sounds to Pythagorean theorem and square roots. It was amazing to delve so deeply into how children's minds learn and absorb information. Montessori essentially presents everything students learn as a hands on activity - there are materials and manipulatives for every concept taught and when they have a full grasp on the concept using the materials they then proceed to doing the work on the abstract level. (The pictures I took of the work done at each level illustrates this and speak for themselves.)

Toddler puzzle work with the book, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear."

 Toddler sorting work with small scoop to aid fine motor skills and concentration.

Pre-Primary (ages 3,4,5) shape work...I'm sure I didn't know what an ellipsoid was at that age!

Sensorial work in Pre-Primary class. Three year olds spend the more time in this area than four and five years olds. Since we take in so much of what we learn through our five senses, sharpening their senses aids in preparing their minds for more advance work. It also extends their concentration span.

Bead wall for mathematics. All math work begins with concrete bead work and then becomes increasingly abstract.

Pre-Primary animal work

Pre-Primary animal work

Pre-Primary science. Parts of a flower.

Sound Cylinders in Pre-Primary class.

Beginning reading work. Three year old level.

Letter sounds. Two's and Three's. (This is introduced in toddler for students who show early interest/aptitude for reading.)

Early math in Pre-Primary.

Bead work. Unit, tens, hundreds, thousands.

Four and five year old math...seriously.

This is the problem above illustrated using the materials, just as the students complete it in class.

Map work. Miss Dawn informed us that she currently has one three-year old that can complete the map of Asia...and name the countries! I would be lucky to complete half of that...okay 1/4 of it!

2nd and 3rd grade Botany work in Lower Elementary Class.

Work boxes. These include weekly checklists for what work a student must complete each week, which in turn must be checked by the teacher to ensure successful completion. So, while a student is able to choose what order they complete various works they have specific work that they must complete. Freedom within limits. Work to challenge each student at their own level.

Living in community!

More Lower Elementary work.

2nd grade multiplication.

2nd grade long division.

4th grade Pythagorean theorem.

5th grade square roots.