Our Peaceful Space

James is entering a new phase. It's the I'm-a-big-boy-and-I-don't-have-to-listen-to-you phase. *sigh*

I'm sorry to tell you there has been a mass outbreak of tantrums and back talk in our home. And I'm sad to confess there's been a fair amount of arguing and time-outs happening as a result. *double sigh*

One night, while nursing Juliet, my mind contemplated James' new phase. It's been truly baffling to my husband and me. Yeah, we know it's normal for kids this age to assert themselves, to test the waters, stretch boundaries, etc. Be that as it may, it's not easy and none of us were handling it very well. I really wanted to find a better way to confront the situation.

It's amazing - the power of prayer and this wonderful community of mom bloggers. Thanks to some openness of mind (my prayer answered), and an assortment of ideas from around the blogworld, I came up with a solution...

Enter: Our Peaceful Space

~looking out over James' two favorite places - his backyard, and the ocean~

The idea for this space is very Montessori, and it was something I actually learned about in my training, but for some reason forgot about. Strange how that happens. Anyway, in the Montessori world this space is often arranged at a table for two in a classroom (to help resolve conflicts).

I put a lot of thought into this space, taking time to consider the items and which of them would be most useful and calming to James. He's a very introspective person, which is a beautiful thing, but it can cause him to get a little over-analytical and anxious. (*cough* no idea where he got that from *cough*)

Here's what I've included. Again, I gathered my ideas from all over the place, but Deb's post has all of the links save for this one and a few others I link to below.

:: printed finger labyrinth (found this on Google images) - this will be replaced with this soon.
:: mind jar
:: calming cards (inspired by this post, I made these myself and will share the printable if anyone is interested)
:: knitted bird (I knit this a while back - it's actually called, "The Bluebird of Happiness". How fitting!)
:: sea shell (wonderful because in order to hear the sound of the ocean inside, James has to be very calm and still)
:: clove and cinnamon box (smells sooooo good!)
:: wooden heart (resides inside of the clove box)
:: image of a boy doing the lotus pose (this will remain until I replace it with this book)
:: quartz (promotes balance and healing)
:: smooth stone (naturally a cool temperature, which feels nice on the face and neck. Alternatively, it can be held tightly in the palm of one's hand for a few moments and then it'll feel warm.)
:: rosary and angel box (my rosary which I purchased while in Vatican City)
:: framed photo of children dancing
:: buddha board
:: dream catcher
:: window star (made this a long time ago, but it still looks so pretty when the light shines through it)
:: mat
:: comfy cushion
:: a few tree blocks (for contemplative building - mine are a bit uneven, so stacking them requires patience and focus.)
:: wooden egg timer (3 minutes - for the times when James is in a "how much longer??" kind of mood)

I know by Montessori standards this is a bit much. And I know the above list shows how eclectic we really are (I always say we've got a Catholic Montessori Zen Waldorf-y thing going on!). :) As I said, this is what works for us. I wanted this space to be a place where James can go and just be, whenever he wants. It is also the place he goes to whenever he acts out. It's his happy place, if you will.

I'm very pleased to tell you this set up (coupled with some tips from this post) has made our home a much happier place. That's not to say our home is completely frustration-free (I mean, James is almost 5, and I am whacked out on sleep-deprivation), but it is definitely better. James really enjoys his "peaceful place" and visits it often just because he wants to.

Oh and PS: I've been known to peace-out in this special space, too! It's so inviting and relaxing!

Do you have a peaceful spot in your home or classroom? Feel free to share your link in the comments section!

Want to make a peaceful spot? Here are some other peaceful items you can add to it (or rotate in, as I plan to):
:: hang prayer flags
:: this book by the wonderful Montessori Mama
:: single flower in a simple vase
:: wooden dove
:: mini zen garden
:: singing bowl or
:: energy chime
:: beeswax candle inside a beautiful lotus votive
:: Tibetan prayer beads
:: engraved stone
:: beach sand in a bottle
:: dolls for role playing
:: other beautiful natural items (sea glass, star fish, pine cones)
:: peace materials from Montessori Print Shop
:: small statue of Buddha
:: I spy bottle
:: beeswax ornament
:: books on peace
:: these beautiful multilingual peace cards

~Thank you for your comments!~

Our New Routine

I mentioned in a recent post that I have been re-evaluating our curriculum and how we do school. With the help of Jolanthe's Homeschool Planner worksheet, I created this schedule:

There were key subjects I knew I wanted to cover, some more frequently than others (e.g., math, writing, reading). I also wanted a variety of topics within each day because while James is a creature of habit and routine, I knew it was important that I keep our school time interesting and new at the same time. For example, we do an "art study" every Thursday, but the art that we study is different each time.

Every Sunday evening I plan out our schedule for the coming week by writing in specific notes on the template. I refer to this schedule during our school time and I make a check mark as we finish a subject. I do this so that upon review I can quickly see what's done and what isn't. There are days when we may have to skip a lesson here or there, and because it's not checked I'll see that I need to cover that material tomorrow.

After I've planned our schedule, I gather together all of the materials we'll need for each day and I create "daily trays". I place these trays on the shelves of one of our bookcases. This is not unlike workboxes in the sense that the child simply goes to one spot to collect their work for the day. Each morning James goes to shelves, gets the tray of the day, brings it to the table, and knows that everything on that tray is what we have to work on.

On each tray is a clear folder that holds that day's worksheets. I purchased three Kindergarten and 1st grade workbooks and I simply tear out several pages for each day. Occasionally I add in worksheets I've found online, too.

At the end of the day we paperclip the completed worksheets and put them into this folder. My husband really enjoys seeing what James has done, and James is so proud to show his daddy his school work!

I also have a "teacher tray" where I keep books I use repeatedly throughout the week (e.g., our chapter read-aloud, our reading comp. book, etc.). This is really handy as it keeps my materials separate from James'.

At the end of each week I save the completed schedules in my organizer. This is helpful because it serves as a record of what we've done and it also provides me with a clear idea of what we need to cover. By the way, I must mention that I *love* my organizer! I haven't quite decided how to use it to its full potential, but so far it's been a great help. Inside of it I keep a copy of our monthly calendar, notes, ideas, planning sheets, Weekly Reader teaching guides, as well as pouches filled with writing tools and stickers.

That's one other thing that's been a fun new addition to our school time - the stickers! I remembered that I used to love when my teachers put stickers on my worksheets to show they were pleased with my work. I found loads of these little stickers at the local teacher's supply store. James was just tickled when I pulled them out and I've noticed he puts in a bit more effort in the hopes he'll get a sticker!

Many thanks to my wonderful friend, Terri, for this idea. I made this schedule sheet for James and I keep it posted in our classroom next to our calendar so he can see what's coming. He really likes it and often looks over to it and announces what we're doing next. We start school at about 8:30/9am (or later... depends on how motivated we are in the morning!) and the entire routine takes us about 3 hours. This works out well since our afternoons are usually busy with playing, errands, or classes. (BTW, "morning exercises" is just a more grown up way of referring to "circle time". : ) You can read more about our circle time here.)

I'm really, really pleased with our new schedule and learning method. I like that we're still using our classroom despite the fact that much of our work comes from books and worksheets. We have school every day in our classroom and work at the little table in there. Three times a week James does "shelf work" where for 30 minutes he can work on anything on our shelves. Currently, the work on our shelves is from our mini-units. (Side note: I thought we'd move through those MUCH more quickly than we have - there are 3 units we have yet to cover!) When we get through those I will create only a handful of trays each month.

For the moment, our "curriculum" is really just a hodgepodge of methods using various books, workbooks and tactile materials. Beginning next fall we'll be using more specific methods for our core subjects.

In the next week or two I hope to share about our new school library!

PS: here's a recent pic of my sweet pea. I just can't get enough of that smile!!

~Thank you for your comments!~

Our Reward System - The In-Home Store

Now that James is 4 he's become really quite helpful around the house. Some of his "chores" include assisting with the laundry, feeding the cats, making his bed, cleaning his room, and distributing toys and other mislaid items back to where they belong in the house. Once the baby comes we've explained to him that we'll be expecting him to help out even more (he is SO excited about this new responsibility!). His endless energy and cheerful desire to help has been greatly appreciated by this very pregnant mama. I can't tell you how much waddling around the house he's saved me from doing!

We decided to reward James' contributions by giving him a quarter each time he helps out in a big way. He doesn't get a quarter for EACH thing he does since we want him to understand that things like making his bed and cleaning his room are his responsibility and things he simply must do as a member of this household.

My husband bequeathed to James a very special wallet that he himself made as a child. It's in this wallet that James saves his coins and up until now they've just been collecting there. Initially I told him we could go to the store someday and he could choose something to buy. Thanks to our recent Money Matters lesson, he now understands the concept of money and buying things.

Then I saw this idea on The Idea Room and was totally inspired. I set to work slightly modifying it to create a version that will work for us. Here's what I came up with....

~our in-home store~

Inside of this basket are various items which James can buy with his quarters. I opted to include very few food items (I'm just so wary about using food as a reward) and what edibles I did chose are healthy. I found just about everything you see at our local dollar store. Some of it is from my own stash as I've long been in the habit of keeping books, stickers and other simple items on hand for those rainy days or those 'I-completely-forgot-to-buy-something-for-so-and-so's-birthday' days. : )

All of the items are color coded with star stickers. This tag is attached to the basket as a price key. I priced things in such a way that James can choose to buy something straight away after receiving a quarter or he can choose to save up for a more expensive item. I think this will give him a great introduction to saving since there are actually very few items that are just a quarter.

The options for what to include in an in-home store are limitless! For those interested, here's a list of what's inside our store:
:: Go Fish card game
:: Various sticker sheets
:: Grow capsules
:: Paint your own wooden snake kit
:: Cat pencil
:: A book
:: Markers
:: A die cast airplane
:: A bag of unpopped popcorn
:: Welch's fruit snacks (large and small bags)
:: ABC silly bandz
:: Super balls
:: Stretchy bugs
:: Set of 5 small frogs
:: Game of Jacks
:: Mickey Mouse keychain
:: Mini tubs of playdough
:: A bottle of bubbles
:: Ping pong balls
:: Paper clips with magnetic container (James is SO into magnets right now)
:: Alphabet stencils
:: A glow stick (in orange, James' favorite color!)
:: Mini play scene
:: Mickey Mouse stationary set
:: Individual balloons

We'll replenish only once all of the items have been purchased. I'm curious to see how this system will work out and which of the things James really likes.

One final thought: I know to some this looks like just a big basket of "junk" and others may even think that rewarding a child in such a way is wrong. To that I say: "To each his own". I'll admit I'm not a big fan of plasticy toys and knick knacks, but I chose items that I knew would be interesting to James and my intent is for him to learn about responsibility, helping others, and money matters in the process. And I should also note that we are always sure to thank James for his efforts with hugs and praise. :)

~Thank you for your comments!~

Daily Food Chart

Lately, James has been wanting to take a very active part in preparing his meals and so I've been giving him the opportunity to have a little say in what he'd like to eat. As you can imagine, he often makes some not so great choices and if I were to leave it entirely up to him he'd eat nothing but Jell-O and Goldfish crackers. :)

That's when an idea started formulating in my mind. What if I were to create some type of chart that would allow him the freedom to make his own selections, help him to make good choices, and also teach him the basics of good nutrition?

Online I went and discovered this link. LOVE when I run across a like-minded mama! Megan's method is wonderful and if I had a magnetic refrigerator I may have just gone her route, but as I do not I needed to modify it in a way that works for us.

Here's what I came up with:
This is my "all-in-one" version. James can see his food choices (he's very visual like that) and make his selection. I think of this as a menu of sorts as the food images I've chosen are all things James regularly eats. (Yes, you do see a hot dog there. Here I must ask that you don't judge our food choices - I don't claim to be a nutritionist, the best cook, or the healthiest person in the world!)

Alongside each food group shown in the pyramid is an indication of how many servings he'll need per day. The same information is shown in the smaller boxes below the pyramid. Using those numbers as a guide, once James puts together his meal, he'll check off the amounts in the small boxes alongside the corresponding food group. I've added a few extra boxes for special occasions and/or for those instances where food items cross over (e.g. celery with peanut butter and raisins - a favorite of James'). Obviously we'll do the checking off part together since it does take some cross referencing to be sure he's had the proper servings size.

That's where this document comes in useful. On the reverse side of the chart is this handy-dandy reference guide. I've laminated the two back to back for convenience and so we can reuse the chart over and over.

A couple of side notes: If we don't happen to have a particular food item on hand, then James simply makes another choice. Certain graphics, like the cheese graphic, is just a symbol for whatever kind of cheese we have (i.e. slices, string, various flavors). If we go out to eat, we just make a point to fill the chart out when we get home.

As I mentioned, this chart has been specifically tailored for James, but for what it's worth I'm offering it as a free printable to you. Click here to download. You can easily create one of these yourself. I'm by no means computer savvy - I created this in Word, found the images on Google, and cut and paste it all together. Easy-peasy!

~Thank you for your comments!~

Our Snack Break - Food & Set-up

Several of you have asked me about the snacks James eats during our daily snack breaks (we have one at 10am and one at 3pm), so I thought I'd write up a post about it. I hope you find it helpful!

First, let me show you a picture of our snack set up:
This is just a drawer in the kitchen next to the pantry. We call it "James' drawer" and this is where we store his dry snacks, bowls, glasses and utensils.

These are drawers inside of the door of the refrigerator. There's always two beverage choices - a jug half full of water (for easy pouring) and usually a can of V8. I don't purchase juice boxes (I find them wasteful and costly). Of course James is welcome to any other beverage in the fridge, but these are the only ones that are at his level. I rotate the other contents somewhat often.

Now, when it comes time for a snack, I tell James he may choose a beverage and ONE of anything in either his refrigerator drawer OR in his pantry drawer. This helps to eliminate the grazing-at-the-buffet effect that's catapulting so many of our children (and us adults!) into obesity. It also provides James with an opportunity to have control over this aspect of his life and for him to know that I trust and respect his choice. All very important things.

We practice Montessori not just in our classroom, but throughout our home. My husband and I are BIG believers in cultivating independence within our children. With regard to food, James is very accustomed to making his own snacks. And I must add here that James prefers to make his own snacks - if ever I attempt to do it for him he'll say, "Mama, I can do it!".

The following is a list of things James can and does prepare on his own. In the past I've shown him how to do these things and I'm always present when he uses any kitchen tools.
::Peel and slice a banana
::Peel and slice a carrot
::Peel an orange
::Peel a hard boiled egg
::Core an apple
::Spread cream cheese or peanut butter onto bread or crackers
::Pour liquid from a pitcher to a glass

When it comes to preparing these foods, I put together any materials he'll need and he takes it from there. Some day we'll get to the point where he'll go around the kitchen to collect whatever he needs (e.g. the corer, peeler or blunt knife) himself, but I'm not comfortable with that just now.

The following is a list of some of our favorite snack items:
::Goldfish, graham, and other kinds of crackers
::Dried fruit/raisins
::Granola bars
::Nuts (we have no allergies)
::Cheese (sliced or string)
::Applesauce
::Yogurt
::V8
::Pretzel sticks
::Mini muffins (or whatever we've baked that Monday)
::Vegetables - James loves raw vegetables: broccoli spears, carrots, celery sticks, spinach leaves, avocado, pea pods etc.
::Fruits: strawberries, grapes, apples, oranges, slices of mango, pineapple or melons, berries
::Pirouette sticks
::Canned fruits

I should note that not all of these food items are available all the time. Depending on where we're at with our groceries, I typically only have about 1/3 of these options available. I do, however, rotate which things I buy to keep his choices interesting.

I should also note that I've prepared some of these items so that they are portion controlled. For example, if James wants to have some Goldfish crackers he will need to use his measuring cup to scoop just ONE scoop out of the container and into his bowl. But, since ONE is not enough of all food items I've also created a little cheat sheet for him to indicate how much of a certain item he's allowed to have.

So there you go - I know to some of you this probably sounds "strict" or whatever, but believe me, it is really just a casual thing since we're all so used to it. And it's not as though we're counting out every single Goldfish cracker - it's really just about giving James some control and parameters to work within. Anyway, I hoped it answered your questions. If you have any other snack time ideas or if you've arranged a food space for your children, please let me know in the comments!

And be sure to take a look at these lovely blog posts at About A Girl and at Sew Liberated to see the self-sufficient food environment they've created for their children. Both were an inspiration to me when I created this space for James.

~Thank you for your comments!~

Our School Week

Because of our move we started school a bit late this year and yesterday was our first day!

I'm thrilled to say it went extremely well, too! Surprisingly, I found myself to be a little nervous in the morning as we got dressed and ate our breakfast. I actually had butterflies in my stomach! I've been doing learning related activities with James for over a year now, so in theory this day shouldn't have been that much different to me.

But it was. Because this day marked the true beginning of our homeschooling journey and I logged in my first hours as a homeschooling parent. Yes, I realize it's "only preschool", but since we've decided to homeschool indefinitely I have the larger picture in my mind and heart.

It was an exciting day and I'd say we're off to a great start. While I'm sure we'll make changes to how our days run as we see the need (reason 1,001 why it's SO nice to homeschool), I wanted to share an overview of how our school week runs.

We have school Monday-Friday, 8:30am-12:00pm. (Note: the following times are approximations - flexibility is key.)
Before 8:30am: We're early birds so we're up and at 'em by 7am. I'll have tidied the house, we'll have made our beds, eaten our breakfast, gotten dressed and brushed our teeth before school starts at 8:30am.
8:30-8:50am: 1st Circle Time. We cover topics on our school calendar, sing songs, etc. I'll write more on this in a couple of days.
8:50am-10:00am: 1st Work Time. This is when James works on whatever he chooses from our shelves. I'm in the room the entire time to guide him as needed and to work with him on new concepts.
10:00am-10:15am: Snack Time. We go to the kitchen where James chooses a snack and prepares it himself (he LOVES doing this). He has a shelf in the fridge and a drawer in the pantry where his food/bowls/utensils are stored.
10:15am-11:00am: 2nd Work Time.
11:00am-11:20am: 2nd Circle Time. We come together for a story, another song or two, a prayer and a few minutes of mindful rest.
11:20-12:00pm: Recess Outdoors. We might play movement games, explore the yard, go for a walk, play with our animals and if it's warm enough we'll swim in our pool.

After recess is lunch and then 1 hour of quiet time where James plays quietly in his room (or naps on very rare occasions).

Each week day afternoon is planned as follows:
Mondays: Baking Day
Tuesdays: Grocery Shopping Day
Wednesday: Playgroup Day (I run this group and it's a great place for James to hang out with some friends).
Thursday: Kindermusik & Errands Day
Friday: Field Trip Day - we'll do any number of things on this day, such as take a bus or ferry trip to another part of the island, visit the aquarium or plan a get together with friends.
And our weekends are all about family time (and laundry!). :)

Our week has a really nice flow to it and I'm thrilled about having our rhythm back. During the 3-4 weeks when we were moving, I was amazed at how differently James behaved. He wasn't naughty or anything, but he was definitely "off". He seemed aimless and wasn't listening as well as he usually does and was totally forgetting all the wonderful habits he had (such as cleaning up his toys without asking). Like all children, he craved structure and routine. I'm glad to be able to provide that for him once again.

Linking up to The Preschool Corner & Montessori Monday.

~Thank you for your comments!~

Daily Rhythm

I've been doing a lot of research and reading about creating a balance in our routine and in our home. Not just for James because children need and thrive in an environment that's regular and familiar, but for our family as a whole. I have an insatiable need to feel an order to my days, but I get anxious when they're too regimented. I suspect James feels the same way. I really wanted to find a way to bring a flow to our days. A way to keep things easy and peaceful.

I read the book, You are Your Child's First Teacher, and after reading the chapter on rhythm I felt an immediate calm. There it was. That's what my family and I needed - a rhythm.

Rhythm is all around us!

The waves ebbing and flowing at our favorite beach, Chaplin Bay.

A view of the sun setting from our backyard.

I took some time to think about our days based on the book's suggestions and I was pleasantly surprised to find we are already very much in a rhythm of our own. I suppose I just had to step back for a moment to realize it. Still, I felt there were a few areas that needed "fine-tuning", particularly our mornings and mid-afternoons. They were sort of a hodgepodge of whatever we felt like doing or could fit in at the time. This type of "freedom" may sound ok in theory, but it always left me feeling scattered, unfulfilled and very unproductive.

Then, after seeing this beautiful post I was inspired to create a daily rhythm chart for our family. I chose certain recurring times throughout the week for the things we've always done - our Montessori lessons, outdoor play, prayer, field trips, and quiet time. Also each day of our week now has its own "theme" (e.g. Monday is Baking Day).

Now, I know it sounds like my chart is akin to a regimented routine, but it's not! Call it a change in perspective or semantics, but I'm not looking at this chart as a hard and fast schedule we need to follow, but more as a helpful guide detailing the rhythm of our days. The fact that each day has an overall "theme" is what really makes this feel peaceful and calming to me - it ties the day together. And as soon as I created the chart and posted it on our fridge I felt relief. It all makes sense and most importantly, it feels right.

Even though we've just started with our daily rhythm, I can already feel the difference. I'm getting things done, I don't feel rushed or stressed and I'm feeling really positive. This, I know, makes my family and my home happier as a result. James knows what to expect, he looks forward to our adventures and seems more secure. And my husband? He's so supportive of this concept and I think in general he feels as long as mama and kiddo are happy, he's happy. :)
I'd love to hear from any of you who've created a daily rhythm in your home and if you have any recommendations for books on the subject.

And, in case you're interested in finding out more about rhythm yourself, take a look at the posts that inspired me:

::The Magic Onions hosts a wonderful weekly series called Discovering Waldorf and that's where I found this insightful post written by the author of one of my favorite blogs, Frontier Dreams.
::Rhythm of the Home - this is an online magazine that is full of posts that are good for the mind, body and soul.
::There's just a snippet about Rhythm in this post, but I urge you to read the entire post because it offers some lovely insights into Montessori and parenting as well. Plus, it's written by another of my favorite bloggers, Meg, of Sew Liberated.