Today Cecilia brought home her latest knitting project: a girl gnome that she has named Gnomia. (She plans to make a Gnomeo and a baby Gnomie to go along with Gnomia.)
It’s intentional that Gnomia has no facial features. This is a technique used to promote more imaginative play. The children can imagine all sorts of facial expressions.
I love the braids and the cape.
Posted in Peds
This past Saturday, Fred and I attended the 2nd grade Parent Meeting at our daughters’ school. Every few months, each classroom teacher holds his/her own parent meeting in order for the parents to come together, get to know each other better, learn about the latest happenings in the classroom and discuss any of our own questions and concerns. These are usually well-attended, even fun meetings, because the parent body is comprised of individuals of all backgrounds who are supportive of the school, the teachers, and the Waldorf curriculum. Most of the meetings also have 1-2 activities in between periods of discussion. The activity is often one that the children do, and the teacher takes the parents through the activity in order for us to experience what the children experience in the classroom. This meeting’s activity: Form Drawing.
Form Drawing is an aspect of the Waldorf curriculum that helps to develop hand-eye coordination, spatial sense, fine motor control, brain development and flexibility in thinking. Here are some examples of form drawing:
Each parent found a spot at a 2nd grader’s desk, unrolled our crayon pouches and watched as Mrs. M demonstrated the form drawing we were to draw ourselves. Needless to say, I was a bit nervous. What Mrs. M demonstrated looked like a complex pattern, and drawing of any form is not my strength. It was as if Mrs. M sensed my fear because she then said, “I always tell the children to bring their courage to all that they do. So just bring your courage to the form drawing.”
Bring my courage. I loved that. My form drawing was still mediocre at best, but I brought my courage and completed the 2 form drawings as best I could. The experience reminded of a few of my favorite quotes these days:
“We must walk into the arena with courage and the willingness to engage…we must dare to show up and let ourselves be seen.” – Dr. Brene Brown
“Do not live in fear. Dream big.” – Tom Wells
“You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try.” -Beverly Sills
I love that my 7-year-old daughter is learning to bring her courage to everything she does, to everything new that she tries. There are several new adventures ahead for me: moving to our new house and starting our mini-farm, raising a puppy, several trail races to complete, and the new adventures that unfold as a wife and parent. To everything ahead of me, I will bring my courage.
Posted in Inpatient Psych, Peds
Now and then I like to post pictures of my kids’ artwork. It’s a fun way for faraway friends and family to get a glimpse of one of their favorite hobbies. It is also a way for me to document the progress they have been making as budding artists. I’m always impressed with their progress, especially since I, myself, was never, ever, ever, an artist. Like, ever.
Me and Cindy in the Garden by Penelope age 4.5
Untitled by Cecilia age 7.5
For this last one, I think Cecilia drew inspiration from our friend Rita who is a fabulous artist (and mom/cook/wife/photographer,etc) who often draws her inspiration from Hungarian folk art and flower patterns.
Pen and Paper Drawing by Cecilia
Posted in Peds
One morning last week, Cecilia was tossing, turning and moaning in her sleep, clearly having a very bad dream. About 10 minutes later, she groggily staggered down the stairs wrapped up in her favorite fuzzy brown blanket. She found me sitting in front of the computer and cuddled up next to me.
“Did you have a bad dream?” I asked her.
“Yes,” she whimpered, still distraught.
“What was it about?”
She sniffled, ” I dreamt…I dreamt… I dreamt that Mrs. Monroe wasn’t my teacher anymore.” She then buried her head in my armpit.
And???? But that was it. That was her very bad dream. During moments like these, I am reminded of my 7-year-old’s innocence.
So what can follow up that story? A sweet Penelope story? Well, in the car the other day, Penelope was telling me all about a sled. It was a sled her friend has, and her friend was telling her all about how they can go sledding and fit a bunch of kids on the sled at one time.
“Can we go Mommy?” Penelope asked.
“Sure,” I said. “We’ll have to make a plan to go.”
She added, “Oh, but Mommy. You can’t go on the sled. You have a too big butt.”
Awwww. Sweet, huh?
They’re all sweet and innocent until one of them tells you you have a too big butt.
Posted in Peds
Cecilia had a week off from school for Thanksgiving break, so she decided to do some writing. Here is the cover of the “book” that she wrote.
Hard Times by Cecilia Bahnson
The text reads as follows:
It was saterday and Sara was bord. ther was nothing to do. She coldint go to Olivia’s bikose [because] she Just moved, knit bikos she ran out of yarn, suwe [sew] bikos her suwing mashein broke…
so thar was nothing to do. So she look’d out her window for a wiel [while]……
Sudenly she salw 3 girls on pogo stiks she dicidid to go and see if she cold borow one. the next morning it was the 1st day of summer and her Family was going on vicashon to califonia. Sara was so exsided bikos she was going to stay with Olivia and she scrimde [screamed] At the top of her lungs…
FUN AT LAST!
at last it was time to go but gus [guess] wat [what] Thar flit [flight] was canseld. wen thay got home Sara stampt up stars and then fluw [flew] bake [back] down But then she stumbled and fel hed ferst and landed at the botum of the stars. and it ternd out she brok a leg so she went to the hospidel and about 12 of her freinds sind [signed] her cast. then about a week later Olivia came to visit but then went to the wrong hospidel. then finily Olivia sinde Saras cast and finily she got to take off her cast.
That vary nexst day was fall the 1st day of school math was horabel Saras bran [brain] cold not thingk finily the school day was finished. for diner thay had orenge chikin.
The next morning Olivia got to visit Saras school after school thay went to the airport and flew to california. the ferst thing thay did was go to the beach. it was grate! then they went to california pizza kichin for lunch. Sara was happy to be with Olivia. Olivia gave a necles with half a hart. Olivia had a nekles with the other half and thay fit together. Thay were both RILY happy.
The end.
Posted in Peds
It was a dark, stormy drive through the deep dark wood of the Suislaw National Forest. We had left Corvallis at 4:00am for the 3 hour drive to Coos Bay, birthplace of running legend Steve Prefontaine. As we crossed the bridge into North Bend, the sky finally started showing signs of daybreak, giving us much needed relief from the 3 hours of rainy, foggy driving.
Three words that came to mind upon entering Coos Bay: REALLY F*$%ING WET. Luckily for me, I wasn’t in Prefontaine’s hometown to run one of his training courses. We were there for Cecilia’s Sectional Meet for gymnastics.
It still amazes me how happy and energetic, yet calm and focused Cecilia is at her meets. Meanwhile, I’m sitting in the spectator seats nervous and jittery, particularly when watching her on beam, which was her first event this morning. No need for me to be nervous, though. Cecilia stayed poised on beam, moved with power on the floor, demonstrated control and strength on the bars, and confidently attacked the vault. She had a fantastic meet, placed in all 4 events and finished 5th overall (out of 20 girls) in her age division. Of course, the scores and placements are just numbers. She simply LOVES gymnastics, loves doing her routines and loves being at the meets with her teammates/friends. At the end of the day, she was all smiles and so proud of herself. That is what matters most to us.
C’s inspiration: The Fierce Five. She made this right when we got home from Sectionals.
Posted in Peds
At my daughters’ school, “handwork” is part of the curriculum starting as early as age 4. By handwork, I mean knitting. In Kindergarten, the students start with finger knitting. This progresses to knitting with 2 or more needles to create more complex projects such as socks and stuffed animals.
Why knitting, you might ask? Knitting helps develop mobility and dexterity of the fine motor muscles, arouses the power of concentration, encourages a degree of attentiveness as well as flexibility in thinking. Knitting also evokes joy and positive self-esteem within the child from having made something practical and beautiful.
In the 2nd grade classroom, Cecilia is just about finished knitting a case for her pentatonic flute. Her love of knitting has continued at home where she completed a pot holder for her Tita Malia as well as a small blanket for her baby cousin Tristan.
Penelope was ecstatic when she learned to finger knit in class two days ago. Yesterday, she chose her own ball of yarn to use for finger knitting at home. She takes great pride in teaching us how to finger knit. Click on the link below to watch her tutorial, and you too can be an expert finger knitter! (Please note, when she says “birdie beak” that refers to her thumb and forefinger. Also, “worm” is the long piece of string.)
Posted in Peds
My 4-year-old Penelope is quite the character. She’s funny, loud, creative and more than a wee bit crazy, which we love, of course. I often try to imagine her as an adult living her day-to-day life. What will she be when she grows up? So many things come to mind such as a dancer, yoga teacher, coffee shop owner, zookeeper, early childhood Waldorf teacher, actress…really a performer of some kind. Perhaps even a singer-songwriter?
She woke up one morning and came up with this song I’ve titled “It’s a Pwobwem.” (Translation: It’s a Problem.) She sang it to me while lazing around in my bed instead of getting up to get ready for school.
Take a listen. (The video is boring, but I had recorded the audio on my iphone Voice Memo app. I couldn’t figure out how to load the audio onto this blog, so I made a short shaky video of P “sleeping” and added the audio to the video. I’m no film maker or film editor. I’ll get tips from my bro for future vids.)
Posted in Peds
A couple of weeks ago, I opened an email from Cecilia’s 2nd grade Class Parent. As I read through it, my eyes widened when I saw, “2nd Grade Mushroom Field Trip to Mary’s Peak.” My initial thoughts included, “Mushroom Field Trip? Really? That’s so neat! Only at Waldorf…”
I immediately volunteered to chauffeur 4 crazy 2nd graders on this mushroom hunting field trip since 1) I’ve never been to Mary’s Peak and 2) I’ve never been mushroom hunting. Then I emailed our friend Cindy knowing she’d LOVE to go on this field trip with us.
The field trip this morning did not disappoint. It was a beautiful day to be on Mary’s Peak surrounded by big leaf maples and towering conifers. Our trip was led by one of the other parents, Boris – a mushroom enthusiast with an accent to fit his name. He knew exactly where to find the coveted chanterelle mushrooms. The kiddos collected many chanterelles and they plan to use them to make a soup tomorrow.
Our friend Cindy is also a mushroom lover, and it was awesome to have her leading a few of us on our hike through the woods.
At the end of the trip, I felt incredibly thankful for so many things: a morning in the beautiful outdoors of the Pacific Northwest, my daughter’s teacher for organizing this field trip, the interesting people I’ve met through the girls’ school, the proximity of a place like Mary’s Peak, living in Corvallis…Yup, life is pretty sweet in this corner of the country.
Goin’ on a mushroom hunt…
Cecilia loved this tree.
Cindy leading the troops!
shelf mushrooms
Beautiful corral mushroom
Posted in Peds
Yesterday my 7-year-old Cecilia had her first gymnastics meet of this season. During practice the night before the meet, her coach asked all the girls, “What is something you are nervous about and what will you do to get through it?”
Cecilia responded, “I’m nervous about doing my scale on the beam. I practiced my beam routine 5 times tonight, and I fell off the beam during my scale all 5 times.”
*Above is a picture of a gymnast doing a Scale — Back leg must lift a minimum of 90 degrees and be held for at least 2 seconds. The Gymnast must keep both legs locked out and chest up while performing both the scale and arabesque.
When C’s coach asked her what she will do to get through it, Cecilia said, “I’m going to relax because I know I can do it, and I believe in myself.”
WOW. I need to remember that the next time I feel nervous about anything!
During the meet, we watched C go through her warm-up on the beam. When she practiced her scale, she fell off! Yikes!
A few minutes later, it was time for her official routine. While watching, I felt like Olympian Aly Raisman’s parents, doing the lean, making facial expressions, mumbling under my breath, grabbing F’s arm. (Click HERE for the video of Raisman’s parents watching one of her routines.) I was tense and did not want to watch, not only because I knew C was nervous about it, but also because it’s the beam for God’s sake! That thing is SCARY!
C, on the other hand, seemed completely calm and cool and did not look one bit nervous. She looked focused, confident, relaxed, happy and completely in her element. And, she NAILED her routine. She kicked that scale in the ass.
While C has been doing gymnastics since she was 2.5 years old, F and I are not the type of parents who push her or pressure her in any way. The path she has taken in gymnastics has been completely her choice. She absolutely loves the sport and has had incredibly positive relationships with the coaches and her teammates/friends.
This was the first meet during which F and I actually kept track of her scores; however, we did not keep track of her scores in relation to her fellow competitors. So, we were pleasantly surprised when Cecilia was announced as the 1st place winner on BEAM in her age group, as well as at the 4th place All Around winner for her age group.
Yet the best part was after the meet when C beamed, “I’m so proud of myself!”
Posted in Peds
