Waldorf Story Verse

This is a favourite thing of mine.  I have had it for years, and do not even recall where I bought it.  I first used it during storytime with Henrietta over 12 years ago, and I have brought it out as my new candle for storytime at Moondew this year.  Isn't it lovely??

I begin my story circle with a small verse.  It is much loved by many kindergarten teachers as a way to settle the group and focus their attention before the story engagement process begins.  I love it as you can use small gestures and the children can copy.  Here it is (with thanks to the original owner of the words)

Good Morning, dear Earth 

(touch the earth with both hands)

Good Morning, dear Sun

(gesture upwards, both palms open to the bright orb)

Good Morning, dear Stones

(touch the earth, hands in a fist shape)

and Flowers, every one

(and open the fists into flower shapes in front of you)

Good Morning, dear Animals

(fingers above your head, like little antlers)

and Birds in the trees

(two thumbs interwined, making flapping wings with the fingers, travelling across the sky)

Good Morning, to you

(hands open, outstretched, palms face up, towards children in group)

and Good Morning, to me

(hands facing me, crossing over almost like a 'hug')

Enjoy!!

Fruit yogurt popsicle recipe

A nice summery healthy treat for little ones.

Take 3 sliced bananas, a punnet of washed strawberries, 1 kg of natural plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons of water and 2 tablespoons of honey.  Pop all the ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth. 

Set up some plastic cups or popsicle moulds in a low-sided dish. (This helps the pops to stand still when they are first freezing- oh those cheeky little pops do love to move about!).  Fill them about 1/3 full and add a wooden popsicle stick. (1/3 full is a good size for toddlers and young ones)

When the tray of cups is full, transfer it to the freezer and place on a flat surface.  Adjust the pop sticks to ensure they are centred to make them easy for the children to hold whilst they are eating these yummy treats.

A nice addition is a small handful of fresh mint leaves added to the mix before blending.

(We ate these at Moondew on a hot summery day.   A nice refreshing way to share morning tea)

Open ended resources for imaginative play at Moondew

Moondew Playgroup started again today.  It is such a pleasure to spend time sharing stories, songs, food and play with these friends.  Ned says "moondew friends" (trys to!) and is happy to see everyone and it means I get to 'keep my hand in' the world of early childhood education without having to put him in childcare.

Childcare- that is a whole other story and one I dont want to partake in with Ned.

(It is funny the amount of conversations I have with other early childhood/childcare teachers who have worked for years in good -and not so good- centres.  The main topic of conversation is always how none of these mums ever want to put their own child into a childcare centre, and how many are restructuring their lives/ work situations/ mortgages etc to support this ideal.  Childcare is such a controversial topic, isn't it. )

Anyway, here are some pictures of the resources/play things at Moondew.  

Perhaps something might inspire you for your play set up at home.

 It isn't my perfect set up, as I don't have a 'special, just for playgroup' room, but we do a good job of making do!!

(This was Henrietta's 6th birthday present - she is now 16- 

so it takes pride of place in the Moondew lounge)

I love this swing on the treehouse!

Handmade flowers

In one week of my "Create" course, we do what I call "not your average flower decorating" class.

When the course came to a completion last year, we all went out for an evening of chocolate gourging and the girls presented me with this- their own handmade bouquet of flowers.  I have been meaning to share the photos for ages, so here they are...

Each flower, like each lady, was unique and full of spunk and life.

Just what a good bunch of flowers/people should be like!

The importance of diet for health

As an adult, we often fall into habits, good and bad, when it comes to what we eat.  We've learned to eat on the run, to grab a snack or two to keep us going through a long work day, and to make-do with store-bought fruit smoothies that taste great but are often filled with sugar.  But something strange happens when we have children. Our innate need to provide them with a healthy, nutritious and balanced diet , begins to affect the way we all eat.  If we think it is important to feed them organic pureed fruits and vegetables, we too might buy organics for our meal.  If we believe in quality over quantity, we'll eat fewer quick fillers and focus more on the nutritional aspects of our main meals.  If we want to prepare healthy snacks for our kids, we are inspired to bake and make quick and easy things at home using wholesome ingredients.

Lately, I've been thinking about my health and eating patterns lately. As a whole, my family and I eat really really well.  But when it comes to chocolate, I am an all-or-nothing girl.  There is no such thing as moderation and my renewed chocolate addiction (after 7 years completely chocolate free) was getting seriously OUT OF CONTROL!!!!  I have been watching my body grow larger than I am comfortable with, and for the first time went over the 60kg mark during the Christmas week. 60kg has always been my stop gap-  and it frightened me that I was so blase about crossing it. To make changes, I have to set boundaries.  Boundaries that are flexible, and open, but that give me a guide to follow, especially in the moment when I am hungry and don't have anything healthy in view. Healthy boundaries also stop me from buying too many treats or processed snacks when I am in a 'oh, a little bit won't hurt them' kind of mode.  It means a little planning too, so I dont get caught out.

These are the new guidelines I'm going to strive to live by for health:

1.  Visit the 'stupor'market less, and the farmers market more.   I read a book called "Evie's Kitchen" by Shazzi who advocates for raw food, and whilst I am not a "raw foodie" (nor could I ever be), she makes some interesting points about food.  She also gave me the term "'stupor-market", which is my new favourite word.  If you are into raw food, or even if you are not, this book has lots of yummy recipes to try. 
2.  Make friends with my greengrocer.  Whilst this goal seems like it should be easy, in my town, it is not.  You see, there is NOT ONE greengrocer for my town of over 20,000 people or those in the local hills.  Can you believe it?  The only options for fruits and veg come from the two 'stupor'markets or the local organic shop which only has a small variety and supply.   I'm going to cross the highway to the next suburb and make a new Greengrocer friend there!
3.   Eat PURE.  When Ned was a little baby, covered in red exezma (poor kid never had a chance with an asthmatic father and sister, and a hayfever allergy mum), my naturopath advised an Alkaline diet (namely 80% alkaline food, and 20% acid foods).  I instantly lost weight  and felt great because my diet was all about fruits and vegies but it felt a little restrictive.  But the principle was good.  So, my new goal is to eat 'pure'.  By this, I mean eating the most wholesome, unprocessed version of a particular food.  Things straight from the ground and trees (fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains- without chemical residues where possible) and food from animals that have been treated with respect such as free-range eggs, biodynamic milk and grass-fed meat). I'll add to this list things that I have made from these pure foods and things others have made from these pure foods.  Oh, and little or no sugar.  I know sugar is like a drug for me.  I think it does make me go into a 'stupor'!

4.  Read the book (once again) "IN DEFENSE OF FOOD", by Michael Pollan.  You can visit Michael Pollan's website to learn more.   He makes great arguments (actually, plain speaking facts) about food and you can never think about food the same way again.  He says that the health of the soil affects the health of the animals/plants which affect the food culture in which we eat which in turn affect the health of the eater (mind and body).  I believe this.  It is very different to eat an egg from a home based chicken than a caged chicken.  The taste, the look, the smell, the capacity for digestion.  It is food for thought.
 The next three of my goals come straight from his suggestions!
5.  EAT FOOD!  Don't eat anything incapable of rotting
6.  Avoid food with ingredients that are @unfamiliar, @unpronouncable @have high levels of fructose corn syrup or @have more than 5 ingredients in number.   Its a pretty good rule I think.
7.  If you do have to visit the supermarket, shop the peripheries only.  STAY OUT OF THE MIDDLE!!

8.  Change my mindset to QUALITY not QUANTITY.  I'd rather a little of a good tasting brie cheese than a whole block of cheap not-that-tasty cheese.  This mindset is beginning to permeate my whole life.  It is the Department Store versus Chain Store thinking.  Rather than buy three cheaply made t-shirts from a mass produced factory (which barely last a few months), I will save up and buy one good quality, well made shirt from a reputable, quality store.   These pieces last for years, not seasons- a much better investment for my money.   I'm glad to have finally learnt this lesson!! The same goes with food. Flour is a case in mind. Buying flour (or even better, a bag of grains you will grind yourself when you need fresh flour) from an organic bulk store with high turnover will provide you with a quality product.  Sadly, there is no way of knowing how long a bag of flour in the supermarket has been in storage or how fresh (or not) it really is.

9.  Bag a butcher.  I want to get to know my local butcher by name (and he know mine) and feel comfortable asking the 'dumb' questions. My only reason for buying supermarket meat has been for the mere fact of intimidation!  Butcher shops can be scary!!  But I'm going to put intimidation aside, and ask for help.  Hopefully, then I'll purchase smaller amounts of quality, great tasting meats that fit within my 'pure food' guidelines.

10.  Enjoy simple fresh recipes, with great tasting condiments.  More salads, simply prepared vegetables and less sauces that hide the true flavours of the things we eat. 

My family and friends reap rewards from these goals too, so its a big win for all!

What are some of your goals???

A sneak peak inside Moondew Steiner Waldorf Playgroup

A little look inside Moondew Playgroup-  simple resources, collected or made over many years.
You can start by hunting op shops.
Great finds include:

• old wooden curtain rings
• wooden curtain holders
• wooden bowls, cups, spoons for home corner
• wooden cars, trainsets
• silver teapots, sugar bowls, milk jugs

(This was Henrietta's 6th birthday present but now takes pride of place in the Moondew lounge)

I love this swing on the treehouse!

Don't forget old scrap materials that can be cut up for cloths, for shelf displays (eg blue cloth for water scene) and for dress ups.

Tip:  If you are going to make some of your play resources, use GOOD QUALITY felt! (eg 100% wool felt-not acrylic, not half/half)  It makes a huge difference to how long the toys last. If you are going to put the work in, then use the best materials you have.  It is a worthy investment!

Hand carving stamps - Stationery

And back to craft I go, hi ho, hi ho, hi ho....
This week, it has been hand carving more and more and more stamps. ....

The stamps have been for the pockets of the 'Creative Tool Kit'.  The idea was to stamp every pocket with an image that would instantly tell the workshop participant how to put everything back at the end of a class.  It also helps me to identify things I need to replace or replenish.

This is my favourite stamp of this lot.  "Glue".  How cute!  You can barely see that the word 'glue' is above the glue stick in cursive letters.

Now it is time to think up my next stamping adventure.

Sourdough bread. The need for freshly ground grain. Breadmaking with children

Sandra brought with her a selection of fresh unground grain.  What a variety!  The store Santos, located in the Northern Rivers is well renowned for quality and produce.  I'm not sure there is anything comparable on the Gold Coast, although Flannery's might come close.

Sandra and her husband Brian eat porridge everyday made from the freshly rolled oat grain.  On the right is the whole grain, and on the left is the grain freshly rolled.  Freshly ground grains are SO important for health. As soon as the grain is opened, the kernel is exposed to air and the deterioration process begins.  It is near impossible for anyone to truly know how long ago the milling process happened, so often the bags of flour we purchase is not only old, and nutrient poor, but oftentimes rancid or teeming with weevils.  This is why freshly ground grains are so important for health.

I have often wondered whether the increase of allergies (especially to gluten and wheat) is due not to the grain itself, but to the quality of the grain we eat. (eg chemical laden, rotten).   Sandra reports that many of the children in her groups with diagnosed 'allergies' are able to digest the bread made from these freshly ground grains.  Interesting....

Sandra brought along her whizbang wooden electric grinding mill.

What a treasure of a machine!

Sandra also showed us how to make Sourdough bread and gave us two recipes- one for a dry loaf, and one for a wet loaf.  These recipes were from the book, Nourishing Traditions.

Sandra shared with us the bread story that she tells in her group.

Fantastic!

You'll have to attend one of her workshops to learn about 'Barrack' for yourselves!

Sandra can be contacted at sandrafrain@astro-calendar.com.

Tell her I sent you!