Candlemas and Goddess Brigid

Quiet, quiet, do not make a sound,

Holding now the string so tight

We all make some winter light

Quiet, quiet, do not make a sound.

Dipping, dipping, candles smooth and round

Holding now the string so tight

We all make some winter light

Quiet, quiet, do not make a sound.

~shared to parents from my daughter's Waldorf Kindergarten Teacher at Housatonic Valley Waldorf School

Today is Candlemas. A beautiful festival celebrated in many cultures as well as Waldorf families and schools across the world. It is the midway point of winter when we can look ahead with anticipation of the coming of Spring. It is a festival of candles and the warmth of the hearth. Many schools and parents choose to make homemade beeswax candles on this day or decorate candles. See an old Candlemas post of ours here with many ideas.

Candlemas (and Groundhog's day which is also today) both stem from very the ancient festival of Imbolc which is one of the four Celtic fire festivals and the very word means 'in the belly', as in a celebration of the life hidden within that will soon appear to us in Spring. For that reason, the lamb or newborn animals are very symbolic on this day. Imbolc honors the Celtic Goddess Brigid who's legend Christianity later took and evolved into St. Brigid.

To celebrate this day, you can make homemade candles with your family. It is also customary to eat pancakes (maybe for dinner?) . You can also make a Brigid's Cross (we did a paper version this year as show in the photo above)... put images of lambs, baby animals on your nature space and honor candles and creating a fire as Brigid was the Goddess of Fire and the Hearth.

Dear Saint Bridget of the Kine

Bless these little fields of mine,

The pastures and the shady trees,

Bless the butter and the cheese,

Bless the cows with coats of silk

And the brimming pails of milk.

Bless the hedgerows, and I pray

Bless the seed beneath the clay.

Bless the hay and bless the grass,

Bless the seasons as they pass,

And heaven's blessings will prevail,

Brigid, Mary of the Gael"

Chip-Chop

Friday is our Soup Day at Little Acorn Playgarden. It is a very special day because each child brings in their very own vegetable to share and therefore our soup is different each week. Because I have three children at different age levels (Age 5, 3 1/2 and 1) - it works out just perfectly because everybody has a special job. Brianna is the oldest so she helps me peel the vegetables...

Chip-chop, chippity chop,

Cut off the bottoms and cut off the tops.

What's left in the middle goes into the pot.

Chip-chop, chippity chop!

~Sweet verse shared with me by Sara Wilson of Love in the Suburbs as taught to her son in StarBright Garden Preschool in Fair Oaks by teacher Pati Callan. How wonderful how these verses get passed around and shared with so many children worldwide?

Lilah is the second oldest and she is learning how to cut the vegetables safely with Ms. Eileen...

And little Fiona is the youngest and she likes to help us place the vegetables in (and out) and in (and out) of the pot until we are ready to cook them...

Soups on!

Our New Caregiver's Calendar is Available!

These calendar pages include important festival and holidays information, the color and grain of the day, an activity to do for each day of the week and an idea or inspiration for each day to help you create the Waldorf home or school environment you wish for your children.

To get an idea of what the year will look like - check out our free sample month for January!

Transformational Walks

One of the ways we can find our true selves and connect to the inner peace that lives within us all is by finding time alone to ask and listen while we are surrounded by nature.

I would like to challenge you all to find time each week to go on a spiritual walk or hike alone or with a mindful partner on a search for something more meaningful than you have ever experienced.
Many of us struggle with the day to day questions and long term challenges of finding our true place in this world and figuring out where we fit – what we are meant here for – and how to discover and live an authentic and fulfilling life within our current circumstances.
As you work on your spiritual connection through these transformational hikes, begin by taking one of the following truths into your heart and trying to keep your mind and heart focused on that one truth throughout your entire walk. Be sure to let silence be your guide, breathe fully and deeply and create an open awareness of all of the signs and messages nature is sending to you as you open yourself up to this process.

Life’s Pure Energy Lives Inside of Us

Despite our struggles, sorrows and challenges – deep down within every single of one of us is a Light – a source of creativity, joy and pure love… there is no exception to this truth. This is the
life energy – the gift we have been given from our very first moment of being and regardless of circumstances, experiences, resentments, anger, bitterness, pain or belief systems – underneath all of our layers remains this pure spirit-filled light burning inside each and every one of us.
Some of us were lucky enough to have been nurtured in a way that allows our light to shine brightly and just need to remind ourselves to stay centered. Many of us have experienced difficulties and events that may have created too many protective layers over our true selves and we find it hard to get back to that place. And, some of us may have had such extreme events and conditions occur as we carried through life, that there may be so many tough and thick layers, it
is difficult to even imagine a light can be found within at all.

But it is.

It is always there and it is waiting for you to peel back the layers, the protective barriers, the roles, the falsehoods, the past, the pain, the anger, the worry….

So it can once again be revealed and so you can begin again and the world can start anew.

So you can begin to experience a transformation. A change. A chance to be reborn in light.

Walk today and hold this truth within you, ask and receive as you experience the world
around you during this process.

You Already Have the Answers
One of the most amazing things about this light within you is that it knows all. We all struggle with hard questions in life – many of us are unsure of our current paths or how to handle a difficult person in our lives. Some of us struggle with addictions or habits that we are unsure of how to break. There may be choices presented to us and we are unsure of which way to go. We may have such sadness or pain that we feel we have nothing left to ask.
Often, we seek answers everywhere else but from within… in self-help books, from friends
or family, a trusted mentor, consulting experts or therapists – sometimes we choose not to seek at all and just give up.

The thing we fail to realize is that the answers are already there for us. They are within the light that we hold inside. If we can truly connect to this sweet source of energy, all we ask for will be received. All we want to know will be revealed.

As you walk today, hold this truth in your mind, body and spirit. Bring your questions and worries deep within yourself and let them be filled with your light. Breathe in the world around you, watch and feel for answers.

To Experience Your True Self You Must Open Your Heart

Oftentimes the reason we are unable to connect to our true selves and receive the answers we are looking for is because we are not living our lives with an open heart. We are closed off, we protect
ourselves by putting up walls, we use sarcasm or judgments to keep from communicating and connecting to others and life in a true, honest and raw manner. We do not want to be hurt. We hold past experiences in our minds as we analyze events or experiences that come into our lives and then we place judgment on them, sometimes even twisting them into something they are not.
Before you can connect to your light, you must work to let go of all negative thought and judgments about the world around you and your experiences within it. You must approach life with an open heart – taking in what it gives you, letting it soak within your true center and
waiting for the answers to rise up.
As you walk today, practice being open to all experiences in the natural world and all discomfort and annoyance that may come your way during the process – barking dogs, a loud lawn mower, cars passing. Let these things flow in and out of you without placing any negativity,
expectations or judgments on them. Accept them all as a part of your true experience without trying to change any of it. Wait and feel yourself deeply as you see that you can be centered and at peace in any situation, even those that would have made you feel stuck or frustrated in the past.

Try to move through your week in this manner, shifting your thoughts and judgments and allowing yourself to experience the truth of life without trying to change it or condemn it in any way.

What you may find is that by doing this – by not changing anything at all – you begin to transform your experience while staying in the exact same place.Ask and You Shall Receive
Regardless of your spiritual and religious beliefs, holding these truths within you as you seek answers to life’s difficult questions and every day challenges will lead you on a path of true discovery and knowledge.

When you have practiced opening yourself up and holding these truths within you sufficiently, take a specific concern with you on your next walk.

Remain open and filled with love while you walk, breathing and watching for nature’s signs to you. Listen fully to yourself, feel your emotions and your body. Hold your question within you – open – and bring it deep within the light inside to keep. Ask for answers that will also
help you serve others. Ask for answers that can not only change your life, but answers that can help change our world.

Your answers may not come immediately…. It is important to remember this is a spiritual journey and you have just begun an amazing process of seeking within, rather than without. If you remain open and connected each day, you will find that the answer will be very clear to you
within time.

Take Action

When your truth has been revealed to you, take action.

If you have discovered that it is time for a career change, seek a position that fulfills you and also makes a difference in our world. If you have found that you must forgive someone to be able to remain open and loving moving forward, let down your guard and do so. If you are still waiting
for an answer, keep practicing openness and non-judgment each day and keep your heart and mind open to receive. It will come and in the process you will find peace and really, that is what we are all truly seeking.

***This piece was originally published in the Little Acorn Learning May Enrichment Guide

Cookie Cutter Bird Treats

Sing a song of Winter

Pocket full of Rye

Throw it out upon the snow

Call the birdies nigh

Birdies chirp and flutter

Seize it and away

Do you always feed the birds

on a winter day?

Today at Playgarden we made cookie cutter bird treats. We used our cookie cutters to cut shapes out of bread this morning and then poked a hole through each one. Then we let it sit out for a few hours before threading string through for hanging. Brianna was very proud to be able to be the one to tie each piece.
We first experimented with using syrup but the seed did not stick well so we went back to the tried and true peanut butter hold and we were in business. Lilah enjoyed buttering up her bird feeders all by herself.
After dipping each piece into birdseed we sang a little birdie song:

Little bird, little bird,

Fly around,

Up to the sky,

Down to the ground.

Little bird, little bird,

Flap your wings.

Open your beak

And sweetly sing.

Little bird, little bird,

Fly to your nest.

Now it is time

To take a rest.

And we bundled up and went outside to hang them on our tree.
Like magic, it started snowing as soon as we got outside.
A symbol of good work, I think.
And Brianna is such a sweet helper. Visiting here, I think, to teach me so many lessons.

“If we do not believe within ourselves this deeply rooted feeling that there is something higher than ourselves, we shall never find the strength to evolve into something higher.” ~

Rudolf Steiner

Competition in Children

"You were placed on this earth to create, not to compete."

~ Dr. Robert Anthony

In our society, we have often taught our children that to be “number one” or the “winner” is the key to success. Many parents and teachers even feel that competition can be healthy and create a drive in children which is necessary to succeed in our fast paced world.

In fact, the opposite is true. Teaching children to compete against one another is actually sending the message to them that they are not good enough - that they must work harder than someone else to be better. When two compete, only one can win and one must fail. Losing creates feelings of inadequacy and winning sometimes creates a false sense of self-worth based on external factors rather than an internal knowing of one’s true self worth and value.

When we think of what we hope for our children it often includes a healthy self-esteem, a giving spirit, intelligence, health, close relationships and self-love and acceptance. Yet when children are asked to constantly compete against one another in all areas of their life, they can learn to define success and something to be ‘won’. And the desire to win and get that recognition and response from others can become quite addictive and feed the ego rather than the soul. What we should really be teaching our children is how to recognize their true beauty and potential within and how to work with others to create.

This is not to say that a child cannot enjoy being on a sport’s team or be taught to focus and work hard at school. It is not to say that they should not be met with excitement when they win a game or bring home a winning art project. But putting the focus constantly on being the best and beating the rest is sending the wrong message.

When we are able to teach our children to value true cooperation rather than competition, they will feel true success and the magic that sparks when a group of people work together and share ideas toward a common goal and help one another reach their true potential.

How can we as parents create a non-competitive environment yet also prepare our children to cope in a competitive world? This is not an easy task but the values the children learn within the four walls of their home are the ones that tend to follow them into adulthood.

Here are some ideas:

*Try not to use winning as a motivator in your home or class. Things like: “Whoever finishes their food first gets an extra scoop of ice cream.” etc.

*Do your best not to compare your children and their accomplishments to one another – try not to say things like “Did you see how good John was playing the clarinet? That’s
why we tell you to practice all the time!"

*When you speak watch what you say… things like: “Who is daddy’s favorite little boy in the
world?” or “Your mommy’s little super-star!”

*When your child does his or her best but does not succeed, let them feel as if they did. Success
should be measured by effort rather than end result.

*Watch how competitive you are and what you are modeling for your children. Do you jokingly compete with your spouse about who cooks the best? Do you sometimes talk poorly of others who have not succeeded?

*Purchase cooperative games to enjoy together at home. These games encourage players to all work together to get to a common goal.

*Create opportunities for working together by cooking as a family, doing yard work together and guiding children toward helping one another. If a child is having trouble reaching a glass, ask her sibling to get it down for her. Teach them to help one another and model the same.

*Point out your child's successes and take the focus off of who won and who lost. Say things like "You did a great job passing the ball to Chris today!"

What are some ways that you feel we can help change our world by teaching children the value of cooperation?

Is 'Good' Stuff Still Clutter?

"Too many activities, and people, and things. To many worthy activities, valuable things, and interesting people. For it is not merely the trivial which clutters our lives but the important as well. " ~Anne Moorow Lindbergh

As we celebrate the Chinese New Year today (the year of the Dragon to be exact), one of the many things that we can do in our homes and schools is to follow the old Chinese tradition of giving our environment a "thorough cleaning". From Wikipedia: "It is believed the cleaning sweeps away the bad luck of the preceding year and makes their homes ready for good luck. Brooms and dust pans are put away on the first day so that the newly arrived good luck cannot be swept away."

Cleaning in itself, while time consuming, is easy enough. Scrub, sweep, mop, dust, organize...

Organize. Hmmm - this is the area where I tend to get stuck. It does not come very naturally to me at all. I'm very lucky to have married a much more organized person than myself. Its not that I do not want to be organized... my mind just does not seem to work that way - putting things in compartments, categories and finding a home for each item is extremely difficult for me. Extremely.

I hope I'm not alone.

One of the ways that I try to get around this is by having less stuff to organize in the first place. Seems simple enough, doesn't it? Declutter down to the basics... down to the good stuff. THEN it will be easier to manage.

The problem?

I have too much GOOD stuff!

Is 'good' stuff still clutter? I'm talking about clothing that is not worn, craft supplies that are still in the packages, sewing patterns I love, toys that are beautiful, wooden and open-ended - even a beautiful Bernina serger that I've never figure out how to use!

How on earth do you let go of the good things?

In addition to good things... I also have many good activities in my life. Lots of volunteer jobs - awesome projects in the works. Oh boy.

So this year... I'm hoping to tame the dragon in my closets, my cabinets and in the toy box... even if its good stuff. I'm going to find the things I haven't worn, touched or my children haven't played with in the last six months and find wonderful new homes for them..maybe even sell them for a little extra pocket money.

Except my yarn. Nobody touches my yarn.

Let's not get too crazy.

How do you keep your good clutter under control?

Snow Bliss

Icy fingers, icy toes,

Bright red cheeks and bright red nose.

Watch the snowflakes as they fall,

Try so hard to count them all.

Build a snowman way up high,

See if he can touch the sky.

Snow forts, snowballs, angels, too,

In the snow, so white and new.

Slip and slide and skate so fast.

Wintertime is here at last.

We woke to a sheet of white that continued on and on until close to 6 inches deep this Saturday in January. Can you imagine any better way to spend your day as a young child than playing, sledding, digging and rolling in the snow? I can't.

I love how the girls just need to step into their backyard to enjoy the different elements and seasons. Growing up in New York didn't allow for that as much when I was a child but the times that I did get out to play in the snow are imprinted on my mind forever. Pure fun.

The best part is coming inside feeling as cold as ice and warming up with a cup of hot cocoa. Sometimes I have to wonder if the girls want to go play in the snow for the fun of it or for a warm cup of cocoa when they return. These are the mommy moments I live for and cherish so much.

So it's a beautiful, perfect, snowy Saturday here at Little Acorn today :)

What's the weather like where you are?