Looking Back at a Very Present Moment with My Baby

Blonde curls tilt forward in tell-tale car nap position.  Daddy and I realize that we won't be able to take our family anniversary walk together on the beach just yet.

However, Luke and Nina are eager to see the sand and surf, so Daddy walks them out to the beach, while I stay behind in the van with Jack.

It is not long until Nina tramps back to the van - cold.  It is February after all.

Not long afterwards, Luke, who usually likes the cold, returns, too.  The brisk sea breeze was getting a bit much even for him, so he asked Daddy to bring him back to the car.

As Luke scrambles into the his seat, blue eyes pop open in another.  Jack has awakened.

I tell Mike, Luke and Nina that Jack and I will go to retrieve their pails and shoes from the beach, just so we can breathe in some fresh ocean air, too, before we all leave .  I expect to glimpse the ocean for merely a moment before a chilly Jack points back to the car.

Not so!

When Jack sees the sand, he smiles.  I let him down in it and he begins to play.  Sometimes serious and intent.  Sometimes with a giggly grin.  That boy is not feeling the cold, but is warmed by the experience of a quiet moment on the beach.

I watch him.  I snap photos.  I marvel at how this bundled up beach-loving boy has been growing.

Seven years ago he was known only to God.  Two years ago, he was a promise preparing to unfold unto this world.  Last year, he was a warm bundle in a sling against my chest.  Now, he is all independence, completely engaged in digging tunnels, filling buckets, occasionally looking up at me or signaling me to join him...

He is wonder.  He is joy.  He is exploration.

He is a boy who does not want the moment to end when I suggest we go back to the van.  At least not until I tuck the camera into my pocket and join him in playing with seaweed in the sand, digging holes, being 100% present in the moment.

Then, with no words, just a piling of buckets, a hug, then a hand held out for my finger, Jack tells me he is ready to go.  I ask him if he wants to leave the beach.  He smiles.  He knows I understand.

So, I gather the buckets and shoes in one hand and reach my other one out for Jack to take a hold of.  Together, we bid adieu to our blissful beach moment - a gift I was not expecting for my anniversary.  Time with just Jack.  A chance to savor this moment.  The precious present spent with a surprise gift I continue to thank God for, my youngest child, who God picked just for me.

I am sharing this moment of joy and gratitude at Heavenly Homemakers, where you can find links to other testimonies of thanksgiving.

Every Day Gluten-Free, A Rich Resource Review of A Must-Have Cookbook

A while back, Kim Wilson from Simply Natural Health was kind enough to send me a review copy of Everyday Gluten-Free.  I so appreciated this, as I am seeking to move my family along from being Casein-Free (CF) to Gluten Free-Casein Free (GFCF) in an effort to see if such a diet can help with a few different issues we have noticed in our children. 

When Everyday Gluten-Free first arrived in my mailbox, I was excited to read it and to start trying recipes from it.  But, as life would have it, a bout of super food-pickiness/obstinacy took hold of one particular member of our family, so I thought it best to wait until we had gotten through that.  Praise God, with the help of our fantastic Food Specialist and a huge (often tested) amount of patience, we did.  Double praises, we have been enjoying testing out recipes from Everyday Gluten-Free ever since.

A Review of Everyday Gluten-Free

Our First Everyday Gluten-Free Recipe Test

* * * * *

A * READABILITY

Everyday Gluten-Free is a 5x7 spiral bound cookbook, so not only does it slip handily onto the counter or tabletop among my three young children’s hands, my own and our cooking supplies, but it also lays flat – something I wish all my cookbooks did!

With one to two recipes per page and ample (but not too much!) white space, it is easy to refer to while cooking, and indexes for both recipes and information make finding what you need in the cookbook a breeze.

Also, where many cookbooks can lean to the dry, no-personality side, Kim has sprinkled Everyday Gluten-Free with tidbits that help readers feel like she is a friend trading tried-and-true recipes.  Everyday Gluten-Free contains:

• brief commentaries, such as, “This dessert is always a hit with company and at parties and potlucks.
• tips, such as, “These cookies freeze well, so don’t worry about making too many!”
• reminders, such as, “every recipe in this book was created through trial-and-error!

and an excellent first chapter that includes helpful information on Gluten-Free Ingredients, Breakfast/Snack/lunch Options and how to deal with traveling and Special Occasions.

A * for RELEVANCE:

Whether, like my family, you are going completely gluten-free, or, like my mother, you seek a resource of recipes for when GF friends and family members are visiting, this volume is fantastic.  It provides 90 simple, family-pleasing recipes for home fare- including pancakes, muffins, pizza, biscuits, breads, cakes, plus snacks and more. 

Better still, unlike many GF recipe books, Everyday Gluten-Free takes into consideration that many with gluten allergies or intolerances also cannot handle eggs, soy, sugar or dairy.  Thus, recipes do not include these ingredients.  And, there are recipes that either do not include, or provide alternatives for, corn and oat products as well.

Everyday Gluten-Free also rises above other GF cookbooks I have browsed in that it does  not depend upon refined ingredients, gums and starches and other ingredients that are devoid of nutrition, fiber and even flavor.  Instead,  it offers a menu of real foods, made with healthy oils and sweeteners in small amounts and nutritionally superior ingredients.  Plus, it does this while avoiding the pitfall some other popular GF cookbooks fall into:  basing too many recipes on mixes that you have to pre-prepare or keep flipping back to, doing calculations to make the right amount of mix for the recipe you are making.

I love that Everyday Gluten-Free helps my children and me prepare straight-forward, nutritious and palette-pleasing foods that we can happily dig into daily!

A * for PRACTICALITY

"I want my GFCF donut!"

As I already mentioned, Everyday Gluten-Free is replete with helpful information and healthy recipes and is organized in a way that makes both information about going GF and also recipes for staying GF easy.

In the first pages of the cookbook, there is an explanation of the main "specialty" ingredients one needs to make the recipes in the book.  I copied this onto my grocery list, made a jaunt to lour local natural foods store and have been good to go since.  No opening to a recipe to find I need a particular item that is not in my cupboards. In limiting necessary ingredients for recipes, but providing a wide variety of ways to prepare those ingredients, Everyday Gluten-Free has made daily cooking easy and economical.

My family now turns to Everyday Gluten-Free recipes regularly for breakfast, making many varieties of GFCF pancakes, muffins and waffles, which I can feel good about serving my family and which my family wolves down!  I also recently used the Chocolate Cake recipe in it to make donuts for a Halloween celebration.  These were a hit with my husband, my children and even my niece, who eats a very typical diet.  And, we are making our way through other recipes, which include:

• Breakfast and Snack Options
• Baking Mixes, Biscuits and Scones
• Breads and Crackers
• Dressings, Sauces, Dips and Gravy,
• Salads and Entrees
• Cakes
• Cookies, Bars and Brownies
• Puddings, Pies and Other Desserts

So far, everything we have tried has been a success.

Oh, and before you ask:  I know chapter titles above do not make the book sound chock-full of healthy, whole-food recipes, but, trust me, it is!  Beans (that don’t hinder taste) in the brownies.  Whole brown rice and millet in coconut Blender Cookies.  Milk made from bananas.  So far, the recipes we have tried are all kid-pleasers in my house!

 

A  * for LONGEVITY

Our family is still phasing in GFCF foods, so I know I will use Everyday Gluten-Free for quite some time.  And, should our GFCF experiment not work out, will I pass the book along to someone else?  No way!

A few minutes after the photo at the top of this post was taken,
this is what out table looked like.
Pancakes?  Happily Devoured!

Everyday Gluten-Free is a cookbook that offers more than juts GF recipes.  It is one that contains many simple, satisfying recipes, packed with fiber and nutrition and made with relatively inexpensive, whole ingredients.  In my opinion, that is what makes this cookbook such a keeper.  GF or not, Everyday Gluten-Free offers my family and me a way to focus on nutrition while enjoying what we eat.  My kids have asked for seconds of a number of recipes we have made from the cookbook already.  That makes this mama smile!

A * for VALUE

In my initial Rich Resource Review post, where I explain my rating criteria, I stated that if a book is one that I would find myself taking out of the library for more weeks in a year than I leave it on the shelves, the book gets another star.  Although my local library does not carry this cookbook, I can definitely say it is a cookbook that has not found its way from my kitchen shelf to my cookbook cupboard.  True to its title, we’ve been using the book every day.  Thus, I think that it is a good value at $13.95.

One caution I will make for those cookbook aficionados that like pretty pictures of foods:  There are none in Everyday Gluten-Free except those on the cover.  This does not bother me in the least, since the book gives me what I want and need – well-written, healthy, family-pleasing recipes without gluten and other common allergens – but I know some others may want the glossy photos.

If you want to test out Everyday Gluten-Free yourself, you can purchase it and other cookbooks by Kim at Simply Natural Health, where you will also find links for recipes and a newsletter.  If my family’s experience is any indication, you won’t be disappointed!

If you prefer e-books, her new one Good and Easy Eats,  is fantastic!

I am linking this post to my BloTaAcMo initiative, as writing this post has been on my task list for weeks.  Please feel free to link any blog tasks you accomplish this month at my initial BloTaAcMo, too.

This post is also being linked Heavenly Homemakers Gratituesday,

since Kim Wilson’s awesome cookbook is a cookbook we are very thankful to have found.  It is certainly helping our family eat healthier, tasty GFCF food.

Discount for You for Future Horizons Autism and SPD Materials and Conferences

If you're a regular reader of this blog, there are three things you may know about me:

1. I am grateful for the community of fellow special needs and homeschooling parents and professionals I have found online.
2. I am blessed to be able to review products related to both homeschooling and special needs both here and at Our Journey THRU Autism.
3. One company I LOVE to review for is Future Horizons, an awesome place for SPD and Autism resources!

Truly, I love Future Horizon products, such as MoveAbout Activity Cards, 28 Instant Songames, Danceland, the classic Out-of-Sync Child and so many more.

 

Now, I am so excited to say that Future Horizons is giving me a chance to help other people access Future Horizons products at a discount.

To Get Your Discount

Just got to Future Horizons and look around.  If you see a product you would like, order it using the code HAPPY when you check out.  By doing so, you will not only receive 15% off the total cost of whatever you purchase, but also FREE SHIPPING (in the continental U.S.)  Not a bad deal for you! 

Disclosure:  It's a Win-Win-Win-Win

To be fully honest, this is not only a great deal for you, but for all involved:

• Future Horizons gets some sales, which means they will be able to keep bringing us great materials and conferences.
• Authors of the books/materials you order will receive twice the royalties they would if you purchased the book from, say, a rather large online book retailer, which i think is awesome.  (I LOVE that FH puts authors; rights and concerns at the forefront and helps us to do so as well through a simple choice of where to purchase their helpful books and materials.) 
• Plus, I will make a small percentage off any sale that uses the code HAPPY, which will help me defray future homeschooling and at-home therapy costs.

Yep.  A WIN-WIN-WIN-WIN.  I am so thankful for the chance to do this.

Use "Happy" Anytime

 
You can use the code "HAPPY" at Future Horizons at any time to get this deal (the 15% off and the free shipping within the continental U.S.).  So can your friends and family.  Please feel free to pass it on!

Good for Conferences, Too 

Bonus:  The code is not just good for books, DVD's, CD's and cards, it is good for conferences, too.  There are some great Fall and Winter conferences coming up in many locations.  Check to see if there is a Future Horizons' and Sensory World's Upcoming Conference near you.

I don't expect you will, but if you run into any trouble using the code, just let me know and I will try to get it straightened out.  Future Horizons is truly an author- and customer-friendly business.

This post is being shared at Frugal Tip Tuesday, since reviewing materials and getting/giving discounts is one way we remain frugal at our home.  It's also being shared at Gratituesday, since I am so grateful for the opportunity to help my family while helping other families find great resources.

Blogging Thanks

As regular readers know, I often struggle with balancing my desire to blog with my call to be a better mother and wife.  I find it far too easy to "get lost" in writing or in being online instead of staying steady-on with my path of training up my children in the way they should go and maintaining an ever-improving home environment for them.  So, as I have meandered back into more regular blogging over the past few weeks, I have also questioned myself:  Am I headed towards a slippery slope of time management again?  Is blogging the best use of my time when it comes to meeting God's will for my life?

At times, when I found myself stealing a few minutes here to tap out an idea and a few more there to review recently taken photos that I might upload to go along with a post, I began to think the answers to my questions were, "Yes, you are already on that slope," and "No, especially when you allow yourself to stay up late to have some quiet blogging 'me' time instead of sleeping while you can so you can be a better parent and more effective housekeeper in the morning."  At other times, I reasoned that since I use blogging as a way to share our experiences and ideas and to journal about our family's journey with homeschooling and just growing into the people God wants us to be, blogging is actually not a selfish endeavor and does tie-in to who I am and what I have to offer the world based on the interests God has given me.

Still, I wondered:  Is God smiling or frowning when my fingers jones for the keyboard?

An answer came about a week ago in an email that I received from a reader:

"Thank you very much, Martianne! I love, love your blog. I am doing the prayer pegs with my kids. :) Know that you are evangelizing the future of the church with your blog. :) ... God bless you and your family!"

This email warmed my heart and made me realize that I am doing something worthwhile when I blog.  As long as my blogging inspires others without hampering my duties to my children, my husband and my home, it is okay.

Like anything, blogging can be tool toward living one's call and sharing one's faith or an idol that detracts from the main mission of life.  I pray to keep it the former.

I am very grateful for the opportunity blogging affords me to think, reflect and share.  I am also thankful for the wide community and fellowship it has opened up to me even on the days or nights I am otherwise cloistered away in my home with my children.  Likewise, I am very happy to know that God uses my desire to share online to inspire others in their faith and life journeys.

Big thanks to the reader who took the time to send me a personal email last week.  Her shared thanks actually helped answer some questions I had been thinking about.  Big thanks, too, to all the readers who take time to leave comments on this blog.  Your questions, tips, invitations to view your own blogs and sites, etc. are always appreciated!  I am thankful for the communication we share and am making a point to leave comments at the blog posts I happen upon, too.

This post is being shared at Heavenly Homemakers Gratituesday, where many share the blessings they are thankful for this week.

Our Last Shall Be First At Times: Responding to the Need for Individual Attention for Jack

Jack's Two-Tooth Grin

How's our little one been feeling?

Dear me, I fear the answer is “ignored” at times.  Or, at least that’s what I surmised when Jack came low-crawling and fussing down the hallway to find Luke, Nina and me the other day, only to fall into a heap of sighing, exhausted sleep as soon as he reached the doorway to our play and learning space/office. 

Shame on me, I thought!  Jack is not a fussy child and is anything but a high maintenance baby (unlike his big brother at his age!)  In fact, Jack is endearing and almost always ready with a two-tooth smile.  He should be getting extra attention.  But, instead – yikes! – he is obviously receiving a lack of attention.

This is inexcusable.  As a youngest child myself, I should be conscientiously showering our happy little babe with huge portions of love and attention, not giving him the shaft.

Guilty Mama.  I am (self) charged.  And, I am going to make amends.

Henceforth, I am determined to ensure that Jack doesn’t experience life as a pie, where he gets the leftovers portions.  Instead, I aim to make certain that he discovers life as a spring, where the refreshing waters just keep flowing, pouring forth enough to share with everyone! 

Yes, I am now making a conscious effort to give the last of our children the first turn some days to drink the goodness of individual attention in!  And, no, I do not mean simply because he sleeps next to me and gets the earliest share in my attention each day.  I mean because I have begun to plan some mornings around Jack first – not the other kids.

What would Jack enjoy?  Which toys and experiences would satiate him with a full share of Mama love?  Those are the questions such mornings answer.   And, more importantly, they answer the question:  How can I demonstrate through actions and words just how grateful I am for the gift of my youngest?  For, indeed, he is so very precious.

I am so grateful for Jack being in our lives.  I am equally thankful that when Jack fell asleep after his long crawl down the hallway the other day, I woke up to the fact that he has not been getting enough attention at times of late.

How do you respond to the needs of all your children?   How do you offer each the individual attention they crave?  Please share your thoughts in a comment. And, please visit Heavenly Homemaker’s Gratituesday, where this post is being shared.

Roller Skating: P.E. and a Little Drama

Luke and Nina recently found a box of sporting equipment I had set aside “until the kids got bigger.”  In it, they discovered some toddler roller skates a Freecycler had given us.  Their eyes lit up and they begged to try them out.  Since their feet are almost big enough to fit in the skates, I agreed.

After a quick fitting and two-stride test inside, we took the roller skates outside.  Nina, immediately got distracted with other outside wonders, while Luke stayed focused on his “new” skates.  At first, he moved gingerly– slowly taking “baby glides” up the sidewalk.

Then, he got bolder, playing peek-a-boo through his legs after losing his balance and discovering himself in the perfect stance for the game.

Finally, he added a bit of drama: fake falls!  Yep, Luke just had to test out his knee pads!  No sense having them on if they won’t work.  Gotta test them to make sure they work.

And, so the fun continued that day, and the day after, and the day after that…  Roller skating became part of our P.E. curriculum.

(And part of dramatic play, too – Can we say “zoo train”?  Ah, Luke and Nina’s imaginations…  Somehow, we lost the picture, but I am still smiling at how they attached all their roller skates together and stuffed animal figurines in them to make a zoo train across the entry to our home one day. )

What physical (and dramatic) fun have you been enjoying lately?  And, homeschoolers, any recent finds-cum-curriculum like our Freecycle-roller-skates-cum-P.E.-time one?

We are so grateful for all the wonderful free(cycled) fun we have been having outdoors.  God is good to keep us on track with our Mission and Goals, including "loving moving"!  To see what others are thankful for today, see the links at Heavenly Homemaker's Gratituesday.

Bad Mama Day Turned Good

Make me clean, Lord, for this child and and his siblings!

One day last week, I had a rather bad Mama day and knew I was modeling nothing but impatience, frustration and, well, all things opposite of what I wish to share with our children. 

Late in the evening, once Luke and Nina were asleep and Jack was cuddled next to me, squeaking as he sometimes does, I looked down at him and felt incredible guilt.  The raised voices.  The impatient atmosphere.  The unnecessary outbursts.  The negativity.  This beautiful, innocent, little child should not be subject to anything of the sort.  In fact, none of my kids should be.  So, why have I been succumbing to ill behaviors

I wondered, “What am I doing?”  “Am I really cut out to homeschool?”  “Heck, am I really cut out to parent?”  “Am I living God’s call or simply ready to call it quits?”  Doubt crept in.  Self-centered thinking prevailed.

I…I…I 

I had had a bad day.  What am I doing?  Am I really cut out to homeschool? Heck, am I really cut out to parent?  Am I living God’s… Blah, blah, blah…. Ah ha!

God.

Thankfully, He stepped in and whispered, “What about me?”  “What about them?”  “What about the big picture?”

When we started this journey as a family, we had that picture clearly in mind.  More recently, I have let it become blurred.  I have tripped things up.  Thus, I must relent, repent, refocus – pray! 

I must ask Him to make me clean and invite Him more fully into my heart.  Only by doing so, can Mike and I guide our children along the happy-heart paths we desire for them.

Indeed, about a year ago, I wrote, “... we hope to make a difference in our children’s lives – both here and in the hereafter. We aim to define ourselves as followers of the unique characteristics that God has placed within each of our hearts. We seek to learn more about our own temperaments and talents. We desire to honor our Creator through training ourselves to think, inquire and trust. In short, we want to discover what we are supposed to learn and live how we are meant to live so that we might most fully receive God’s grace in Heaven at the end of our journey.”  I still want these things and am confident He wants them for our family, too.  

Praise God for helping me see my own flaws and faux pas and for bringing me up short about my self-centeredness so that I might both seek forgiveness and pray for strength.

With Him guiding, I can capitalize on the better parts of my temperament, train myself to think more grateful and joy-filled thoughts and trust that all will be well, however bad my day seem.  Love, laughter and more positive learning can and will color our days.  (They already are again!)

He is in our hearts.  If I simply get myself out of our way, letting Him lead, our journey is full of gratitude, grace and happy heart moments.

Join others for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!  And take the  30-Minute Challenge at Steady Mom.

Awards and Belated Thank You's

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<-- Mama-Educator with the Principal and current students in our outdoor classroom. :)

 When this Mama-Educator was still in the full-time working world, she rarely took breaks or lunches with colleagues, preferring to spend such time offering extra help to my students, contacting parents or creating plans and curriculum.  Still, I loved that colleagues were so readily available to chat each day before the official work day began and after the kids went home.  I always appreciated the opportunity to bounce ideas off one another, share funny stories and, of course, lend and receive an ear on not-so-good days…  Now that I am an at-home educator, I miss this time.

There is no “before or after the kids go home” anymore.  The kids are here 24-7 and so am I.  There are no colleagues to bump into in the hallway.  Indeed, adult conversation throughout the day is often limited.  Discourse with like-minded educators is even more so.  So, as much as I never thought I would say this: I thank God often for the community I have found through blogsophere.  Knowing I can share, help, witness and chat with other Mama-Educators at the press of the computer “on” button is something I appreciate.  Doing so inspires me, gives me a break when I need one and offers me the camaraderie I miss from my full-time teaching days.

It also sometimes gives me that “boost” I need to keep on going.  This past month has been very blessed, but also quite out of balance, since baby Jack came on the scene.  Some of my bloggie friends have offered words of wisdom through comments and personal emails.  THANK YOU!  And, a few fellow bloggers have honored me with awards – an unexpected and appreciated honor. 

Thus, much belated, I thank all these folks and am finally passing the awards on…

As I understand, the first two awards have identical rules (which follow) and the final one has no guidelines besides being passed to someone whose blog you’re wild about.  So, here goes:

Rule number 1:  Thank the person who gave you your award. 

First up, thank you, Carine from Lily Tots for the Versatile Blogger Award.  I love browsing all the wonderful Montessori-inspired pictures of Carine’s little one at work and know others do, too!  Seeing how easily common Montessori works and principles can be applied and caught-in-action makes for much inspiration.

Second, thank you, Sandy at Raising Ian for the Outstanding Blogger Award.  Sandy’s wonderful photos, descriptions, details and ideas about applying Montessori to home teaching are so helpful!  And, I just love some of the mini photo collages of her child at work!

And, finally, thank you, Colleen from Sunrise Learning Lab for the Wild About Your Blog award.  How cool is it to be among the first to be honored with this new award designed by Colleen and her children – especially since Colleen’s blog is one I am crazy about, too – replete with loads of pictures, links, ideas and, well, everything Montessori, Reggio and homeschool.  What a resource it is!

Rule number 2:  Share seven things about yourself.

1.  Those who read this blog know that our first goal in training our children up is to love God.  What they might not know is that I went through some very unloving moments in this respect – dark periods of turning away from my faith.  The good news?  God never turned away from me.  I only hope I can model that kind of love for my own children.

2.  When I was in college, I wanted to graduate with my BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) and my MRS (Mrs. So-and-So, having met a husband at school).  I only achieved the former and, then, decided if I could not be married I would set an arbitrary goal to travel to at least as many countries as I am years old.  I did this, traveling in over 35 nations before finally meeting my husband. 

3.  A little over five years ago, I was planning a year-long world trip.  I had worked, volunteered and traveled abroad, but had never continued to explore place after place at my own pace for an entire year unfettered.  So, I saved up money, found a travel buddy and said a prayer: “God, keep me safe in my travels.  If you don’t want me to go, send me a sign…perhaps a good job or a husband.”  Well, he sent both – I met Mike and a teaching offer came through.  Long story short: a different journey began for me – one with obligations and in one location, but one that I would not trade for anything.

4.  Three of my biggest obligations are Luke, Nina and Jack.  What a privilege and a responsibility it to be the steward of them.  I have taught countless children in the US and abroad, have worked with even more though jobs at camps, on the Disney Cruise line, etc., but nothing compares to the joys and the challenges of having three little miracles all of my (and Mike’s, but truly God’s) own.

5.  At several points in my life, I wanted to open my own daycare, pre-school or drama-and-arts space.  The most recent one was since Mike and I married.  Ironically, in collecting “stuff” to do so, I added to the clutter in our home which is now my biggest stumbling block for many dreams and plans.  I now recognize how “stuff” spoils and impedes living.  (Can we say, “Do not store up…”?)  I am in serious need of organizational efforts and help!

6.  Another dream I have harbored since getting married is becoming a homesteader.  (Luke, who seriously wants to “build a farm”, is all for this idea right now.)  Unfortunately, I have no green thumb and few practical skills.  All in due time… Our first vegetable garden has failed this year, but at least we have a beautiful compost pile going!

7.  I am known by some friends as the “Queen of Free”, and have recently learned that what is free is not always what is good nor needed (relating to 5 above).  But, if it is an experience for the family, it usually is.  I LOVE spring and summer and all the fun, free events and venues we find to enjoy moments of family time.

And Rule Number 3:  Pass the award onto 15 bloggers whom you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic!  

I really want to finish this post right now, but my children need me more than this post does at the moment, so I will attend to Rule #3 on Thursday.  Be sure to check back for brief descriptions and links to some great blogs I have recently found or rediscovered and also check out the three mentioned under Rule #2.

Have a blessed day!

This post is shared at Heavenly Homemakers Gratituesday.

Practical Life - First Bath

Okay, so you won't find young children bathing actual babies in a traditional Montessori classroom, but you will find them attending to all sorts of Practical Life tasks like those described here.  And as was so eloquently put in Michal Olaf's Child of the World, "The traditional work of the family is referred to in Montessori as practical life work. It is the single most important area of an education for life...These areas of practical life depend on the culture in which the child is growing up, and may include, but are not limited to:

(1) care of the environment—cleaning, sweeping, washing clothes, gardening, etc.,
(2) the care of the person—dressing, brushing teeth, cooking, setting the table, etc., and,
(3) grace and courtesy—walking carefully, carrying things, moving gracefully, offering food, saying "please" and "thank you" and so on...

...Allowing the child to participate in the daily work he sees going on around him is an act of great respect for, and confidence in, the child. It helps him to feel important to himself and to those around him. He is needed. "

So, when it came time to give Jack his first tubby lately, we focused on family and on Luke and Nina's desire to participate and made it a Montessori-inspired event!

First, we got out all the materials we would need and then, went step by step through the process of bathing a baby, from testing the water's temperature:

 ...to the actual bathing -- gently, gently!:

...to making sure to dry baby thoroughly before holding him tight to ensure we warmed our happy, clean bundle back  up:

And, finally, to commemorating special occasions such as this with photos.  Luke, who loves taking pictures lately, did a great job with this one:

Now, we know, true Montessori fashion would be to demonstrate the activity first and, then, let the child do it independently, but -- safety first!  We treasure Jack too much to let Luke and Nina bathe him on their own just yet. :)  And, we value teaching the practical lesson that some things require help, anyway.

What a blessing something as simple as a first baby bath can be.  We are grateful to have had the opportunity to share this experience as a family.  What are you grateful for this week?  How are you applying principles, beliefs and values in very practical ways on your household?

This post is linked to Heavenly Homemaker's Gratituesday.

The Sunshine Award

Today, fellow bloggers brought me a smile by nominating Training Happy Hearts for the Sunshine Award -- an honor given to those who inspire creativity and positivity in others through blogging.  And, for this I am grateful.

I must say, that the effect of the award is self-propelling.  For while receiving it means that Training Happy Hearts has been noted as a positive, inspiring blog, the award, also makes me feel increasingly positive and inspired myself!  Truly, as I began catching up on comments, emails and blogging after a brief baby-break, only to realize that Kyle from Montessori for Learning, Evanspor from Walk Beside Me and Marcia from a Grace-Full Life had each presented me with the award, I was overwhelmed.  How encouraging to discover that our little family homeschooling blog is not only being followed by folks we've never personally met, but that it is also affecting others strongly enough that three such fantastic bloggers honored it with the Sunshine Award at virtually the same time.

Truly, I am humbled and delighted to have Training Happy Hearts nominated from within the wide sea of blogs out there.  Not long ago, I gingerly dipped my toes into this sea and, since, have sometimes found myself floating happily away in it as a source for inspiration, support and community.  To know the current of Training Happy Hearts might be carrying others along at times is fantastic.  So, thank you Kyle, Evanspor and Marcia for making my day today, and thank you to all who share honesty, faith, support and ideas through their blogs -- making many of my other days!

Upon hearing about our Sunshine Award nomination, of course, being me, I tried to discover where and when the Sunshine Award originated.  I could not trace it back far enough to figure that out, though...  So,if you know, do tell.  I would love to thank the originator for beginning such a fun, pay-it-forward with a smile sort of award.  Simple, yet so full of positive energy!

Just how simple is the award?  Well, the Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspire others in the blog world.  And, the rules for accepting this award are:

• Put the logo on your blog or within your post.
• Pass the award onto 12 bloggers.
• Link the nominees within your post.
• Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
• Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

The only difficult part, as I see it, is picking just a dozen blogs to nominate for the award when there are so many I discover daily that more than earn kudos for creativity and positivity!  Thus, as I move onto nominating 12 blogs below, let me say, there are MANY more I could name!!!!  These are just a small sample of ones -- both established and new, with varying focus -- that I enjoy and learn from:

• Shower of Roses was one of the first blogs I found myself clicking back to time and time again -- a wonderful, well-established blog by a homeschooling, Catholic mom, chock-full of practical and inspirational posts.
• Ditto By Sun and Candlelight -- such a rich resource for homeschooling, faith, nature and other ideas!
• Catholic Icing is a favorite blog for faith-filled, timely and fun activity, craft and cooking ideas.
• 2 Pequenos Traviesos is a fantastic Montessori homeschooling blog with loads of photos and ideas -- and it is bilingual no less!
• Hartley's Life with 3 Boys is a refreshingly real, yet positive and proactive blog, for parents and others blessed and challenged by SPD kids. 
• Try Defying Gravity is another honestly written blog I enjoy, written by an ASD mom.
• Mondorfment is written by a homeschooling, SPD mom, inspired by Montessori among other things, who not only blogs, but is very helpful in her posts in several yahoogroups.
• Living & Loving & Laughing with SPD says it all with its name.  It's a newer, very real blog written by a faith-filled, homeschooling, SPD mom. 
• Nostalgia for the Future is written by a single mom who is working to make Reggio-inspired learning accessible to those in her community.  It is a wonderful example of Reggio-inspired documentation and ideas for home educators. 
• One Hook Wonder is a delightfully helpful and inspiring Montessori-based blog for parents of young ones.
• A Munchkin's World is a blog I recently found that is full of photos, ideas and tidbits for Montessori, crafts, etc. with young ones.
• The Catholic Toolbox is such a rich resource for Catechism games, lessons, activities and ideas for home, school or CCD -- a generous planning and inspiration tool put together by a talented, experienced woman of faith.

Keep the warmth radiating!

And, to see what others are grateful for this Tuesday, visit the Gratituesday links at Heavenly Homemakers -- a place where loads of sunshine is spread!!!!

Shaving Cream: Faith Formation and Springtime Snow in a Can

Today, I am thankful for shaving cream. Yes, shaving cream.

Why? Well, like many, I recognize it is a wonderful, inexpensive sensory "tool".  But, whoever knew it could be an equally useful faith formation prop as well?

The other day at our Jammies School Morning Circle time, I was reading Luke and Nina some longer selections of the Mary books we have in our book basket right now in honor of the Month or Mary. Well, I sensed that even though they wanted me to read, they were a bit antsy, so I grabbed some Little People, trays and shaving cream, so they could  get a good bite of tactile sensory stimulation by playing "Mary, Jesus and Company" as I read to them.

They loved this idea and went to town with the activity, renaming the Little People Mary, Joseph, Joachim, Anne, etc. while pretending to put their newly named Bible characters in all manner of environments - from Bible story ones to sheer imaginary ones. Then, Nina began dabbing shaving cream on the heads of hers, with Luke following suit. At this point, amused, I stopped reading in order to just observe and interact with them, but they protested.  "Keep reading, Mama.". They were both very content to listen and play at the same time.

So, on I read until, suddenly, Luke interrupted me. "Mama, why is there white on their heads?"

"I don't know Luke. Because you and Nina put it there."

"But, what is it?"

"Shaving cream."

"No, I mean what is it... you know, like when Jesus died."

"Oh. A halo?"

"No, Mama, you know... With Mary and the, di... what's it called?"

"Disciples?"

"Yes. With Mary and the disciples. It came down on them."

"Do you mean the Holy Spirit?"

"Yes!"

Oh, my boy! I was so pleased and proud. And, so encouraged... Luke may not sit through Mass very well. And, he often says awful things about prayer, God and Jesus in his worser moments these days. But, God is writing on his heart and Bible stories and catechism concepts are sinking in. As I watched him place the Holy Spirit on each little figurine's head, I smiled.  Moments like this remind me that Luke and Nina's faith is forming every day in so many pre-k friendly ways.  Truly, I had not even begun to focus on Pentecost this year with the kids and there Luke was having his dramatic play moment with it -- and teaching Nina, too.  Faith formation through shaving cream. I love it and am so grateful for it!

And, I am also pleased as punch that the shaving cream fun continued with some outdoor play a few days later... Yes, yesterday, Luke and Nina remembered our "Holy Spirit" play and requested to play with shaving cream after lunch. Since, it was beautiful out, and I wanted to get the kids outside again so I could take down and fold some laundry, I suggested that we play with the shaving cream in their kiddie pool. Luke balked at this at first, since sometimes "different" reads as "not right" to him and he wanted to recreate his "same" as before Holy Spirit play experience,  But, Nina was so excited by the idea that Luke soon caught her fever for it, especially after I said that, outside, they could play with their hands and their feet!

So, quickly, Nina and Luke grabbed some play props (Little People, plastic motor bikes, etc.), while I got the shaving cream. We washed out their kiddie pool together and, then, I let the kids spray the shaving cream into it, figuring they'd lean in to reach play with their props in the foam, or maybe sit on the edge to dip their feet in to slide a bit.

Oh no! They had other plans... Luke has been missing snow. So, with no provocation, he decided to make his own with Nina. Before I knew it, the two of them were giggling inside the pool, clapping shaving cream covered hands together to make it snow and, then, covering each other - literally head to toe - as they made themselves into snowmen.

Watching them get so messy as their little minds worked, creating sunny, springtime snow was such a delight. Laundry duty went on pause. I grabbed the camera. Smiled. Enjoyed the moment. Laughed. Encouraged more imagination and play. Generally delighted in their "snowy" discoveries.

Shaving cream -- springtime toddler fun in a can!  Another simple thing to be thankful for.

To see what others are grateful for today, check out the Gratituesday links at Heavenly Homemakers.



Also, not that my imagination-packed kids need it, but if you have ideas for shaving cream fun, props, activities, do share. Other indoor-outdoor sensory ideas would be great, too. Please leave a comment or link.

Now, go grab some shaving cream and go to town with your kids!